Robust spatiotemporal organization of mitotic events in mechanically perturbed C. elegans embryos

Title data

Borne, Vincent ; Weiss, Matthias:
Robust spatiotemporal organization of mitotic events in mechanically perturbed C. elegans embryos.
In: Biophysical Journal. Vol. 124 (18 March 2025) Issue 6 . - pp. 913-922.
ISSN 1542-0086
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2024.03.041

Official URL:

Abstract in another language

Early embryogenesis of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans progresses in an autonomous fashion within a protective chitin eggshell. Cell-division timing and the subsequent mechanically guided positioning of cells is virtually invariant between individuals, especially before gastrulation. Here, we have challenged this stereotypical developmental program in early stages by mechanically perturbing the embryo without breaking its eggshell. Compressing embryos to about two-thirds of their unperturbed diameter only resulted in markedly slower cell divisions. In contrast, compressing embryos to half of their native diameter frequently resulted in a loss of cytokinesis, yielding a non-natural syncytium that still allowed for multiple divisions of nuclei. Although the orientation of mitotic axes was strongly altered in the syncytium, key features of division timing and spatial arrangement of nuclei remained surprisingly similar to those of unperturbed embryos in the first few division cycles. This suggests that few, very robust mechanisms provide a basic and resilient program for safeguarding the early embryogenesis of C. elegans.

Further data

Item Type:	Article in a journal
Refereed:	Yes
Institutions of the University:	Faculties > Faculty of Mathematics, Physics und Computer Science > Department of Physics > Chair Experimental Physics I - Physics of Living Matter > Chair Experimental Physics I - Physics of Living Matter - Univ.-Prof. Dr. Matthias Weiss
Result of work at the UBT:	Yes
DDC Subjects:	500 Science > 530 Physics 500 Science > 570 Life sciences, biology
Date Deposited:	20 Mar 2025 07:49
Last Modified:	20 Mar 2025 08:28
URI:	https://eref.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/92916