Cytoskeletal regulation during c. elegans embryogenesis

我们将研究细胞骨架如何调节细胞形状的变化，这一过程是真核生物发展的基础。细胞骨架由肌动蛋白、肌球蛋白和微管蛋白等蛋白质组成的丝状网络组成，这些蛋白质提供细胞的结构，并受到仔细的调控，以调节细胞形状的变化。如果细胞在发育过程中不能改变形状，这种失败可能会阻碍组织的正常形成，这将对有机体造成灾难性的影响。此外，癌细胞还经历了转移和肿瘤进展的形状变化，其机制与细胞在发育过程中的机制类似。最近在细胞分裂方面的研究揭示了苯青素作为细胞骨架的全球支架和调节器的作用。然而，这些研究大多是在培养的细胞上进行的，目前尚不清楚苯青素是否调节与组织环境相关的额外收缩事件。我推测，在胚胎发育过程中，通过一种类似于细胞分裂的机制，苯青素调节细胞骨架动力学，以调节细胞形状的变化。为了验证这一假设，我将使用分子、遗传和生化技术相结合的方法，以线虫胚胎发生为模型，在体内研究苯青素对细胞骨架动力学的调节。鉴于细胞骨架在发育和癌症进展中所起的基本作用，这些研究将引起公众的普遍兴趣。

We will investigate how the cytoskeleton mediates cell shape changes, a process that is fundamental for the development of eukaryotes. The cytoskeleton is composed of filamentous networks of proteins such as actin, myosin and tubulin that provide the architecture of the cell and are carefully regulated to mediate cell shape changes. If cells fail to change shape during development, this failure could prevent proper tissue formation, which would be disastrous for the organism. In addition, cancer cells also undergo shape changes for metastases and tumour progression, by a mechanism similar to cells during development. Recent studies in cell division revealed a role for anillin as a global scaffold and regulator of the cytoskeleton. However most of these studies were done on cells in culture and it is not known if anillin regulates additional contractile events that are relevant within the context of a tissue. I hypothesize that anillin modulates cytoskeletal dynamics to mediate cell shape changes during embryonic development by a mechanism similar to cell division. To test this hypothesis, I will use a combination of molecular, genetic and biochemical techniques using C. elegans embryogenesis as a model to investigate the regulation of cytoskeletal dynamics by anillin in vivo. These studies will be of general interest to the public given the fundamental roles that the cytoskeleton has for development and cancer progression.