RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Desmosomal connectomics of all somatic muscles in an annelid larva
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2021.06.09.447732
DO 10.1101/2021.06.09.447732
A1 Jasek, Sanja
A1 Verasztó, Csaba
A1 Brodrick, Emelie
A1 Shahidi, Réza
A1 Kazimiers, Tom
A1 Jékely, Gáspár
YR 2021
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/06/10/2021.06.09.447732.abstract
AB Cells form networks in animal tissues through synaptic, chemical and adhesive links. In muscle tissue, cells often connect through desmosomes, adhesive structures anchored by intermediate filaments. To study desmosomal networks, we reconstructed 852 muscle cells and their desmosomal partners by serial electron microscopy in an entire larva of the annelid Platynereis. Muscle cells adhere to each other, to epithelial, glial, ciliated, and bristle-producing cells and to the basal lamina, forming a desmosomal connectome of over 2,000 cells. The aciculae – chitin rods that form an endoskeleton in the segmental parapodia – are highly connected hubs in this network. This agrees with the many degrees of freedom of their movement, as revealed by video microscopy. Mapping motoneuron synapses to the desmosomal connectome highlighted the extent of tissue influenced by individual motoneuron classes. Our work shows how cellular-level maps of synaptic and adherent force networks can elucidate body mechanics.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.