Biology subjects

Guo, C.-L.

Publications and source records attributed to Guo, C.-L..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Novel Tissue Mechanics-Guided Cellular Flows Enable the Evolution of Feather Follicles

Complex tissue architecture is achieved through multiple rounds of morphological transitions. Here, we analyzed cellular flows and tissue mechanics during avian skin development. We showed how novel cellular flows initiate chemo-mechanical circuits that guide epithelial protrusion, folding, invagination, and spatial cell fate specification. In the initial feather bud formation, stiff dermal condensates protrude vertically out of the locally softened epithelial sheet. As the bud elongates, it stretches the epithelial cells at the base, which mechanically activates YAP and causes the epithelial sheet to fold downward and form a stiff cylindrical wall that invaginates into the skin. This stiff epithelial tongue is essential to the compaction and formation of the tightly packed dermal papillae. These topological transformational events are mechanically interconnected, and the completion of the previous circuit initializes the next one. On the contrary, during scale development, its rigid epithelial sheet restricts dermal cell flows, preventing other further topological transformation. We generated a topological transformation model to show how the process enables the novel evolution of feather follicles.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Recruitment of SH3P2-DRP1A by HYCCIN2 Drives Membrane Tubulation in Arabidopsis Embryonic Cell Plate Formation

Cytokinesis marks the culmination of cell division when the cytoplasm undergoes division to yield two daughter cells. This intricate process encompasses various biological phenomena, including the organization of the cytoskeleton and the dynamics of vesicles. The development of the cell plate aligns with alterations in the cytoskeleton structure and vesicles derived from the trans-Golgi, ultimately resulting in the formation of the planar cell plate. Nevertheless, the coordination of these processes in plants remains to be determined. Here, we introduce HYCCIN-CONTAINING2 (HYC2) as a pivotal cytoskeleton cross-linking protein that accumulates at phragmoplasts and plays a crucial role in cell plate formation. A genetic study involving the depletion of HYC2 post-anaphase in Arabidopsis revealed HYC2s function in cell plate formation. HYC2 interacted with dynamin-related protein 1A (DRP1A) and SH3 domain-containing protein 2 (SH3P2), essential for membrane tubulation during cell plate formation. The recruitment of SH3P2 and DRP1A to the cell plate and phragmoplast organization was compromised in homozygous hyc2-2 mutant globular embryos. Our results shed light on the cytoskeletal function of HYC2 in assembling the cell plate, potentially by guiding vesicles containing SH3P2-DRP1A to the planar cell plate. Significance statementDuring plant cell division, a new membrane is constructed at the division plane, and vesicles fuse to form a transient compartment known as the cell plate. This structure undergoes stabilization via membrane remodeling events, including tubulation, to generate robust membrane intermediates. Apart from DRP1A and SH3P2, our understanding of other protein components involved in membrane remodeling still needs to be completed. HYC2 is a plant counterpart to the human Hyccin protein involved in neuronal myelination and displaying bundling capabilities for microtubules and microfilaments. Our study demonstrates that HYC2 is crucial in recruiting proteins during membrane tubulation in the cell plate formation in developing Arabidopsis embryos. These findings underscore the molecular function and vital role of the Hyccin protein in cell plate formation. One Sentence SummaryPlant HYC2 displays bundling capabilities for microtubules and microfilaments to recruit DRP1A and SH3P2 during membrane tubulation in the cell plate formation in developing Arabidopsis embryos.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Cell-extracellular matrix interactions in the fluidic phase direct the topology and polarity of self-organized epithelial structures

In vivo, cells are surrounded by extracellular matrix (ECM). To build organs from single cells, it is generally believed that ECM serves as scaffolds to coordinate cell positioning and differentiation. Nevertheless, how cells utilize cell-ECM interactions for the spatiotemporal coordination to different ECM at the tissue scale is not fully understood. Here, using in vitro assay with engineered MDCK cells expressing H2B-mCherry (nucleus) and gp135/Podocalyxin-GFP (apical marker), we show in multi-dimensions that such coordination for epithelial morphogenesis can be determined by cell-soluble ECM interaction in the fluidic phase. The coordination depends on the native topology of ECM components such as sheet-like basement membrane (BM) and type I collagen (COL) fibers: scaffold formed by BM (COL) facilitates a close-ended (open-ended) coordination that leads to the formation of lobular (tubular) epithelium. Further, cells form apicobasal polarity throughout the entire lobule/tubule without a complete coverage of ECM at the basal side, and time-lapse two-photon scanning imaging reveals the polarization occurring early and maintained through the lobular expansion. During polarization, gp135-GFP was converged to the apical surface collectively in the lobular/tubular structures, suggesting possible intercellular communications. Under suspension culture, the polarization was impaired with multi-lumen formation in the tubules, implying the importance of ECM biomechanical microenvironment. Our results suggest a biophysical mechanism for cells to form polarity and coordinate positioning at tissue scale, and in engineering epithelium through cell-soluble ECM interaction and self-assembly.

biophysics↗