RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Tubulin Acetylation Promotes Penetrative Capacity of Cells Undergoing Radial Intercalation
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2021.04.29.441997
DO 10.1101/2021.04.29.441997
A1 Caitlin Collins
A1 Sun K. Kim
A1 Rosa Ventrella
A1 Jen W. Mitchell
A1 Brian Mitchell
YR 2021
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/04/29/2021.04.29.441997.abstract
AB The post-translational modification of tubulin provides a wide diversity of differential functions to microtubule networks. Here we address the role of tubulin acetylation on the penetrative capacity of cells undergoing radial intercalation in the skin of Xenopus embryos. Radial intercalation is the process by which cells move apically and penetrate the epithelial barrier via inserting into the outer epithelium. As such there are two opposing forces that regulate the ability of cells to intercalate: the restrictive forces of the epithelial barrier versus the penetrative forces of the intercalating cell. By positively and negatively modulating tubulin acetylation specifically in the intercalating cells, the timing of intercalation can be altered such that cells with more acetylated microtubules penetrate the epithelium faster. Moreover, the Xenopus epithelium is a complex array of variable types of vertices and we find that intercalating cells preferentially penetrate at higher order “rosette” vertices as opposed to the more prevalent tricellular vertices. We observed differential timing in the ability of cells to penetrate different types of vertices, indicating lower order vertices represent more restrictive sites of insertion. Interestingly, we are able to shift the accessibility of early intercalating cells towards the more restrictive tricellular junctions by modulating the level of tubulin acetylation and the subsequent penetrative capacity of intercalating cells. Overall our data implicate tubulin acetylation in driving tissue penetration of intercalating cells.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.