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Mechanical Tensions Regulate Gene Expression in the Xenopus laevis Axial Tissues
Fedor M Eroshkin1, Elena A Fefelova1, Denis V Bredov2
1Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences (IBCH RAS), 16/10 Miklukho-Maklaya Str., 117997 Moscow, Russia.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|January 23, 2024
Summary
Mechanical tension in early embryos acts as a long-range signal, influencing gene expression and embryonic patterning. This study reveals how mechanical forces link physical development with cellular differentiation in Xenopus.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Mechanobiology
- Genomics
Background:
- Chordamesoderm and neuroectoderm converge dorsally during gastrulation and neurulation.
- The role of mechanical tensions in regulating gene expression during these processes is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of mechanical tensions in long-range feedback signaling during embryonic development.
- To identify genes regulated by mechanical forces in Xenopus embryos.
Main Methods:
- Utilized artificially stretched explants of Xenopus midgastrula embryos.
- Performed full-transcriptome sequencing to analyze gene expression changes.
Main Results:
- Identified genes upregulated by mechanical stretching, normally expressed in the trunk (stretched region).
- Identified genes downregulated by mechanical stretching, normally expressed in the anterior neuroectoderm (low stress region).
Conclusions:
- Mechanical tensions act as a long-range signaling factor regulating embryonic patterning.
- Mechanical forces link morphogenesis and cell differentiation during development.
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