title: Cell segregation in the vertebrate hindbrain: a matter of boundaries.
abstract: Segregating cells into compartments during embryonic development is essential for growth and pattern formation. In the developing hindbrain, boundaries separate molecularly, physically and neuroanatomically distinct segments called rhombomeres. After rhombomeric cells have acquired their identity, interhombomeric boundaries restrict cell intermingling between adjacent rhombomeres and act as signaling centers to pattern the surrounding tissue. Several works have stressed the relevance of Eph/ephrin signaling in rhombomeric cell sorting. Recent data have unveiled the role of this pathway in the assembly of actomyosin cables as an important mechanism for keeping cells from different rhombomeres segregated. In this Review, we will provide a short summary of recent evidences gathered in different systems suggesting that physical actomyosin barriers can be a general mechanism for tissue separation. We will discuss current evidences supporting a model where cell-cell signaling pathways, such as Eph/ephrin, govern compartmental cell sorting through modulation of the actomyosin cytoskeleton and cell adhesive properties to prevent cell intermingling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, PRBB, Dr Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain. javier.terriente@upf.edu.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Terriente
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, PRBB, Dr Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain. cristina.pujades@upf.edu.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6423-7451
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pujades
mesh_terms: D000205:Actomyosin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D012249:Rhombencephalon / Q000196:embryology*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000205:Actomyosin
keywords: Boundaries; Cell segregation; Cell sorting; Compartments; Hindbrain segmentation; Tissue separation