Product Citations: 1,884

Force transmission is a master regulator of mechanical cell competition.

In Nature Materials on 1 June 2025 by Schoenit, A., Monfared, S., et al.

Cell competition is a tissue surveillance mechanism for eliminating unwanted cells, being indispensable in development, infection and tumourigenesis. Although studies have established the role of biochemical mechanisms in this process, due to challenges in measuring forces in these systems, how mechanical forces determine the competition outcome remains unclear. Here we report a form of cell competition that is regulated by differences in force transmission capabilities, selecting for cell types with stronger intercellular adhesion. Direct force measurements in ex vivo tissues and different cell lines reveal that there is an increased mechanical activity at the interface between two competing cell types, which can lead to large stress fluctuations resulting in upward forces and cell elimination. We show how a winning cell type endowed with a stronger intercellular adhesion exhibits higher resistance to elimination and benefiting from efficient force transmission to the neighbouring cells. This cell elimination mechanism could have broad implications for keeping the strong force transmission ability for maintaining tissue boundaries and cell invasion pathology.
© 2025. The Author(s).

Host PIK3C3 promotes Shigella flexneri spread from cell to cell through vacuole formation.

In PLoS Pathogens on 16 May 2025 by Rolland, S. J., Lifschin, Z. J., et al.

Shigella flexneri is a human intracellular pathogen responsible for bacillary dysentery (bloody diarrhea). S. flexneri invades colonic epithelial cells and spreads from cell to cell, leading to massive epithelial cell fenestration, a critical determinant of pathogenesis. Cell-to-cell spread relies on actin-based motility, which leads to formation of membrane protrusions, as bacteria project into adjacent cells. Membrane protrusions resolve into intermediate structures termed vacuole-like protrusions (VLPs), which remain attached to the primary infected cell by a membranous tether. The resolution of the membranous tether leads to formation of double-membrane vacuoles (DMVs), from which S. flexneri escapes to gain access to the cytosol of adjacent cells. Here, we identify the class III PI3K family member PIK3C3 as a critical determinant of S. flexneri cell-to-cell spread. Inhibition of PIK3C3 decreased the size of infection foci formed by S. flexneri in HT-29 cells. Tracking experiments using live-fluorescence confocal microscopy showed that PIK3C3 is required for efficient resolution of VLPs into DMVs. PIK3C3-dependent accumulation of PtdIns(3)P at the VLP membrane in adjacent cells correlated with the transient recruitment of the membrane scission machinery component Dynamin 2 at the neck of VLPs at the time of DMV formation. By contrast, Listeria monocytogenes did not form VLPs and protrusions resolved directly into DMVs. However, PIK3C3 was also required for L. monocytogenes dissemination, but at the stage of vacuole escape. Finally, we showed that PIK3C3 inhibition decreased S. flexneri dissemination in the infant rabbit model of shigellosis. We propose a model of Shigella dissemination in which vacuole formation relies on the PIK3C3-dependent accumulation of PtdIns(3)P at the VLP stage of cell-to-cell spread, thereby supporting the resolution of VLPs into DMVs through recruitment of the membrane scission machinery component, DNM2.
Copyright: © 2025 Rolland et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

  • WB
  • Homo sapiens (Human)
  • Immunology and Microbiology

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is essential for normal kidney development. Dysregulation of the RAS during embryogenesis can result in kidney abnormalities. To explore how angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) signaling modulates nephron progenitor (NP) fate specification, we used induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived human kidney organoids treated with angiotensin II (Ang II) or the AT1R blocker losartan during differentiation. Ang II promoted NP proliferation and differentiation preferentially toward a podocyte fate, depleted the podocyte precursor population, and accelerated glomerular maturation. By contrast, losartan expanded the podocyte precursor population, delayed podocyte differentiation, and regressed the transcriptional signature to a more immature fetal state. Overall, using various in silico approaches with validation by RNAscope, we identified a role for AT1R signaling in regulating NP fate during nephrogenesis in kidney organoids. Our work supports the use of RAS modulators to improve organoid maturation and suggests that RAS may be a determinant of nephron endowment in vivo.
© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press.

  • Stem Cells and Developmental Biology

DRP2 promotes EMT and serves as a potential therapeutic target for LUAD treatment.

In Scientific Reports on 13 May 2025 by Chen, Z., Shi, H., et al.

LUAD, a prevalent lung cancer with high mortality, has seen increased focus on molecular targeted therapies due to patient heterogeneity. Among these prospects, dystrophin-associated protein 2 (DRP2), a critical component of the dystrophin complex, underpins membrane-associated structures vital for intercellular interactions in vertebrates. Aberrations in DRP2 function have been linked to the occurrence and development of multiple diseases, prompting an inquiry into its potential link with LUAD progression. To delve into the potential roles of DRP2 in LUAD, we initiated a comprehensive investigation. First, we analyzed DRP2 expression patterns in LUAD using bioinformatics tools. This was subsequently validated through immunohistochemical staining, quantitative PCR, and Western blot analyses. Furthermore, we assessed the functional implications of DRP2 in LUAD cells, both in vitro and in vivo, utilizing assays such as cell cycle analysis, CCK-8 proliferation assay, Colony formation assay EdU incorporation, Transwell migration test, scratch wound healing assay, flow cytometry, and mouse models for tumor xenograft and metastasis. Results showed a strong correlation between high DRP2 expression in LUAD and poorer survival. Notably, DRP2 knockdown accelerated LUAD progression via the EMT pathway. These findings highlight DRP2's crucial role in LUAD and its potential as a therapeutic target.
© 2025. The Author(s).

  • WB
  • Homo sapiens (Human)

Extrusion of BMP2+ surface colonocytes promotes stromal remodeling and tissue regeneration.

In Nature Communications on 3 May 2025 by Heuberger, J., Liu, L., et al.

The colon epithelium frequently incurs damage through toxic influences. Repair is rapid, mediated by cellular plasticity and acquisition of the highly proliferative regenerative state. However, the mechanisms that promote the regenerative state are not well understood. Here, we reveal that upon injury and subsequent inflammatory response, IFN-γ drives widespread epithelial remodeling. IFN-γ promotes rapid apoptotic extrusion of fully differentiated surface colonocytes, while simultaneously causing differentiation of crypt-base stem and progenitor cells towards a colonocyte-like lineage. However, unlike homeostatic colonocytes, these IFN-γ-induced colonocytes neither respond to nor produce BMP-2 but retain regenerative capacity. The reduction of BMP-2-producing epithelial surface cells causes a remodeling of the surrounding mesenchymal niche, inducing high expression of HGF, which promotes proliferation of the IFN-γ-induced colonocytes. This mechanism of lineage replacement and subsequent remodeling of the mesenchymal niche enables tissue-wide adaptation to injury and efficient repair.
© 2025. The Author(s).

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