Dynamin-dependent endocytosis is necessary for convergent-extension movements in Xenopus animal cap explants.
Cadherin cell-cell adhesion molecules are important determinants of morphogenesis and tissue patterning. C-cadherin plays a key role in the cell-upon-cell movements seen during Xenopus gastrulation. In particular, regulated changes in C-cadherin adhesion critically influence convergence-extension movements, thereby determining organization of the body plan. It is also predicted that remodelling of cadherin adhesive contacts is important for such cell-on-cell movements to occur. The recent demonstration that Epithelial (E-) cadherin is capable of undergoing endocytic trafficking to and from the cell surface presents a potential mechanism for rapid remodelling of such adhesive contacts. To test the potential role for C-cadherin endocytosis during convergence-extension, we expressed in early Xenopus embryos a dominantly-inhibitory mutant of the GTPase, dynamin, a key regulator of clathrin-mediated endocytosis. We report that this dynamin mutant significantly blocked the elongation of animal cap explants in response to activin, accompanied by inhibition of C-cadherin endocytosis. We propose that dynamin-dependent endocytosis of C-cadherin plays an important role in remodelling adhesive contacts during convergence-extension movements in the early Xenopus embryo.
Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Oliver
O
Jarrett
Jennifer L
JL
Stow
Alpha S
AS
Yap
Brian
B
Key
D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000737:chemistry*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D034281:Dynamins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004705:Endocytosis; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology*
C074260:CDH3 protein, Xenopus; D015820:Cadherins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D012313:RNA; D034281:Dynamins