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Arp2/3 involvement in intercellular bridge membrane fluctuations and constriction during neural stem cell divisions
Bryce LaFoya1, Michelle N Ortman1, Adam Fries2
1Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 1229 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
Iscience
|April 20, 2026
Summary
Neural stem cell divisions feature intercellular bridges that thin at the midbody, unlike cultured cells. Dynamic actin networks facilitate this thinning process, crucial for cell division.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Animal cell division concludes with nascent sibling cells connected by an intercellular bridge (ICB).
- ICB thinning is essential for cytokinesis and abscission.
- Neural stem cell (NSC) divisions occur in the complex Drosophila larval brain environment.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate intercellular bridge (ICB) thinning mechanisms during asymmetric neural stem cell (NSC) divisions.
- Characterize the structural differences of ICBs in NSCs compared to cultured cells.
- Determine the role of actin dynamics in ICB thinning.
Main Methods:
- Super-resolution, full volume imaging of Drosophila larval brain NSCs.
- Inhibition of the Arp2/3 complex, a branched actin filament nucleator.
- Observation and analysis of intercellular bridge structure and membrane dynamics.
Main Results:
- NSC ICBs lack flanking arms and thin primarily at the midbody, differing from cultured cells.
- Fluctuating plasma membrane sheets were observed surrounding the NSC ICB.
- Inhibiting the Arp2/3 complex reduced membrane fluctuations and impaired ICB thinning.
Conclusions:
- Intercellular bridge thinning in Drosophila neural stem cells occurs uniquely at the midbody.
- Dynamic, branched actin networks are critical for ICB-associated membrane remodeling and thinning.
- Actin-driven membrane dynamics facilitate the final stages of cell division in neural stem cells.
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