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PMID: 18938151 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

The WAVE/SCAR complex promotes polarized cell movements and actin enrichment in epithelia during C. elegans embryogenesis.

Developmental biology ·Vol. 324 ·No. 2 ·2008-12-15 ·Pages 297-309

Patel FB, Bernadskaya YY, Chen E, Jobanputra A, Pooladi Z, Freeman KL, Gally C, Mohler WA, Soto MC

Abstract

The WAVE/SCAR complex promotes actin nucleation through the Arp2/3 complex, in response to Rac signaling. We show that loss of WVE-1/GEX-1, the only C. elegans WAVE/SCAR homolog, by genetic mutation or by RNAi, has the same phenotype as loss of GEX-2/Sra1/p140/PIR121, GEX-3/NAP1/HEM2/KETTE, or ABI-1/ABI, the three other components of the C. elegans WAVE/SCAR complex. We find that the entire WAVE/SCAR complex promotes actin-dependent events at different times and in different tissues during development. During C. elegans embryogenesis loss of CED-10/Rac1, WAVE/SCAR complex components, or Arp2/3 blocks epidermal cell migrations despite correct epidermal cell differentiation. 4D movies show that this failure occurs due to decreased membrane dynamics in specific epidermal cells. Unlike myoblasts in Drosophila, epidermal cell fusions in C. elegans can occur in the absence of WAVE/SCAR or Arp2/3. Instead we find that subcellular enrichment of F-actin in epithelial tissues requires the Rac-WAVE/SCAR-Arp2/3 pathway. Intriguingly, we find that at the same stage of development both F-actin and WAVE/SCAR proteins are enriched apically in one epithelial tissue and basolaterally in another. We propose that temporally and spatially regulated actin nucleation by the Rac-WAVE/SCAR-Arp2/3 pathway is required for epithelial cell organization and movements during morphogenesis.

MeSH Terms
Actin-Related Protein 2-3 Complex/genetics,metabolism Actins/metabolism Animals Caenorhabditis elegans/embryology,genetics,metabolism Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins/genetics,metabolism Cell Movement Cell Polarity Cloning, Molecular Embryo, Nonmammalian/embryology Epithelium/embryology,metabolism Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted Intestinal Mucosa/metabolism Intestines/embryology Morphogenesis Mutation Phenotype RNA Interference
Chemicals
Actin-Related Protein 2-3 Complex Actins Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins GEX-2 protein, C elegans GEX-3 protein, C elegans wve-1 protein, C elegans
Authors & Affiliations
9 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Patel Falshruti B
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UMDNJ - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 675 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
Bernadskaya Yelena Y
Chen Esteban
Jobanputra Aesha
Pooladi Zahra
Freeman Kristy L
Gally Christelle
Mohler William A
Soto Martha C
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Article Info
Journal
Developmental biology
Abbr.
Dev Biol
ISSN
1095-564X
DOI
10.1016/j.ydbio.2008.09.023
Published
2008-12-15
Epub
2008-00-02
Pages
297-309
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0372762
PMCID
PMC2629559
Subset
IM
Grants
NIGMS NIH HHS · R01 GM081670 · United States
NICHD NIH HHS · R01 HD043156 · United States
NICHD NIH HHS · R01 HD043156-05 · United States
NICHD NIH HHS · HD43156 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2008.09.023 PMC Full Text View journal details
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