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Rho signaling pathway and apical constriction in the early lens placode
Author(s) -
Borges Ricardo Moraes,
Lamers Marcelo Lazzaron,
Forti Fabio Luis,
Santos Marinilce Fagundes dos,
Yan Chao Yun Irene
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
genesis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.093
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1526-968X
pISSN - 1526-954X
DOI - 10.1002/dvg.20723
Subject(s) - apical constriction , microbiology and biotechnology , myosin , invagination , actin , apical cell , biology , actin cytoskeleton , anatomy , chemistry , cytoskeleton , morphogenesis , biochemistry , cell , gene
Epithelial invagination in many model systems is driven by apical cell constriction, mediated by actin and myosin II contraction regulated by GTPase activity. Here we investigate apical constriction during chick lens placode invagination. Inhibition of actin polymerization and myosin II activity by cytochalasin D or blebbistatin prevents lens invagination. To further verify if lens placode invaginate through apical constriction, we analyzed the role of Rho‐ROCK pathway. Rho GTPases expression at the apical portion of the lens placode occurs with the same dynamics as that of the cytoskeleton. Overexpression of the pan‐Rho inhibitor C3 exotoxin abolished invagination and had a strong effect on apical myosin II enrichment and a mild effect on apical actin localization. In contrast, pharmacological inhibition of ROCK activity interfered significantly with apical enrichment of both actin and myosin. These results suggest that apical constriction in lens invagination involves ROCK but apical concentration of actin and myosin are regulated through different pathways upstream of ROCK. genesis 49:368–379, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.