---
_id: '10766'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: Tension of the actomyosin cell cortex plays a key role in determining cell–cell
contact growth and size. The level of cortical tension outside of the cell–cell
contact, when pulling at the contact edge, scales with the total size to which
a cell–cell contact can grow [J.-L. Maître et al., Science 338, 253–256 (2012)].
Here, we show in zebrafish primary germ-layer progenitor cells that this monotonic
relationship only applies to a narrow range of cortical tension increase and that
above a critical threshold, contact size inversely scales with cortical tension.
This switch from cortical tension increasing to decreasing progenitor cell–cell
contact size is caused by cortical tension promoting E-cadherin anchoring to the
actomyosin cytoskeleton, thereby increasing clustering and stability of E-cadherin
at the contact. After tension-mediated E-cadherin stabilization at the contact
exceeds a critical threshold level, the rate by which the contact expands in response
to pulling forces from the cortex sharply drops, leading to smaller contacts at
physiologically relevant timescales of contact formation. Thus, the activity of
cortical tension in expanding cell–cell contact size is limited by tension-stabilizing
E-cadherin–actin complexes at the contact.
acknowledged_ssus:
- _id: Bio
- _id: EM-Fac
- _id: PreCl
acknowledgement: 'We thank Guillaume Salbreaux, Silvia Grigolon, Edouard Hannezo,
and Vanessa Barone for discussions and comments on the manuscript and Shayan Shamipour
and Daniel Capek for help with data analysis. We also thank the Imaging & Optics,
Electron Microscopy, and Zebrafish Facility Scientific Service Units at the Institute
of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA)Nasser Darwish-Miranda for continuous support.
We acknowledge Hitoshi Morita for the gift of VinculinB-GFP plasmid. This research
was supported by an ISTA Fellow Marie-Curie Co-funding of regional, national, and
international programmes Grant P_IST_EU01 (to J.S.), European Molecular Biology
Organization Long-Term Fellowship Grant, ALTF reference number: 187-2013 (to M.S.),
Schroedinger Fellowship J4332-B28 (to M.S.), and European Research Council Advanced
Grant (MECSPEC; to C.-P.H.).'
article_number: e2122030119
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Jana
full_name: Slovakova, Jana
id: 30F3F2F0-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Slovakova
- first_name: Mateusz K
full_name: Sikora, Mateusz K
id: 2F74BCDE-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Sikora
- first_name: Feyza N
full_name: Arslan, Feyza N
id: 49DA7910-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Arslan
orcid: 0000-0001-5809-9566
- first_name: Silvia
full_name: Caballero Mancebo, Silvia
id: 2F1E1758-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Caballero Mancebo
orcid: 0000-0002-5223-3346
- first_name: Gabriel
full_name: Krens, Gabriel
id: 2B819732-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Krens
orcid: 0000-0003-4761-5996
- first_name: Walter
full_name: Kaufmann, Walter
id: 3F99E422-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Kaufmann
orcid: 0000-0001-9735-5315
- first_name: Jack
full_name: Merrin, Jack
id: 4515C308-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Merrin
orcid: 0000-0001-5145-4609
- first_name: Carl-Philipp J
full_name: Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp J
id: 39427864-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Heisenberg
orcid: 0000-0002-0912-4566
citation:
ama: Slovakova J, Sikora MK, Arslan FN, et al. Tension-dependent stabilization of
E-cadherin limits cell-cell contact expansion in zebrafish germ-layer progenitor
cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States
of America. 2022;119(8). doi:10.1073/pnas.2122030119
apa: Slovakova, J., Sikora, M. K., Arslan, F. N., Caballero Mancebo, S., Krens,
G., Kaufmann, W., … Heisenberg, C.-P. J. (2022). Tension-dependent stabilization
of E-cadherin limits cell-cell contact expansion in zebrafish germ-layer progenitor
cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States
of America. National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2122030119
chicago: Slovakova, Jana, Mateusz K Sikora, Feyza N Arslan, Silvia Caballero Mancebo,
Gabriel Krens, Walter Kaufmann, Jack Merrin, and Carl-Philipp J Heisenberg. “Tension-Dependent
Stabilization of E-Cadherin Limits Cell-Cell Contact Expansion in Zebrafish Germ-Layer
Progenitor Cells.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United
States of America. National Academy of Sciences, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2122030119.
ieee: J. Slovakova et al., “Tension-dependent stabilization of E-cadherin
limits cell-cell contact expansion in zebrafish germ-layer progenitor cells,”
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,
vol. 119, no. 8. National Academy of Sciences, 2022.
ista: Slovakova J, Sikora MK, Arslan FN, Caballero Mancebo S, Krens G, Kaufmann
W, Merrin J, Heisenberg C-PJ. 2022. Tension-dependent stabilization of E-cadherin
limits cell-cell contact expansion in zebrafish germ-layer progenitor cells. Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 119(8), e2122030119.
mla: Slovakova, Jana, et al. “Tension-Dependent Stabilization of E-Cadherin Limits
Cell-Cell Contact Expansion in Zebrafish Germ-Layer Progenitor Cells.” Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol.
119, no. 8, e2122030119, National Academy of Sciences, 2022, doi:10.1073/pnas.2122030119.
short: J. Slovakova, M.K. Sikora, F.N. Arslan, S. Caballero Mancebo, G. Krens, W.
Kaufmann, J. Merrin, C.-P.J. Heisenberg, Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences of the United States of America 119 (2022).
corr_author: '1'
date_created: 2022-02-20T23:01:31Z
date_published: 2022-02-14T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-04-02T12:54:56Z
day: '14'
ddc:
- '570'
department:
- _id: CaHe
- _id: EM-Fac
- _id: Bio
doi: 10.1073/pnas.2122030119
ec_funded: 1
external_id:
isi:
- '000766926900009'
pmid:
- '35165179'
file:
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checksum: d49f83c3580613966f71768ddb9a55a5
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creator: dernst
date_created: 2022-02-21T08:45:11Z
date_updated: 2022-02-21T08:45:11Z
file_id: '10780'
file_name: 2022_PNAS_Slovakova.pdf
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month: '02'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
pmid: 1
project:
- _id: 25681D80-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
call_identifier: FP7
grant_number: '291734'
name: International IST Postdoc Fellowship Programme
- _id: 260F1432-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
call_identifier: H2020
grant_number: '742573'
name: Interaction and feedback between cell mechanics and fate specification in
vertebrate gastrulation
- _id: 2521E28E-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
grant_number: 187-2013
name: Modulation of adhesion function in cell-cell contact formation by cortical
tension
publication: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States
of America
publication_identifier:
eissn:
- 1091-6490
publication_status: published
publisher: National Academy of Sciences
quality_controlled: '1'
related_material:
record:
- id: '9750'
relation: earlier_version
status: public
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Tension-dependent stabilization of E-cadherin limits cell-cell contact expansion
in zebrafish germ-layer progenitor cells
tmp:
image: /images/cc_by_nc_nd.png
legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode
name: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
(CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
short: CC BY-NC-ND (4.0)
type: journal_article
user_id: ba8df636-2132-11f1-aed0-ed93e2281fdd
volume: 119
year: '2022'
...
---
_id: '9750'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: Tension of the actomyosin cell cortex plays a key role in determining cell-cell
contact growth and size. The level of cortical tension outside of the cell-cell
contact, when pulling at the contact edge, scales with the total size to which
a cell-cell contact can grow1,2. Here we show in zebrafish primary germ layer
progenitor cells that this monotonic relationship only applies to a narrow range
of cortical tension increase, and that above a critical threshold, contact size
inversely scales with cortical tension. This switch from cortical tension increasing
to decreasing progenitor cell-cell contact size is caused by cortical tension
promoting E-cadherin anchoring to the actomyosin cytoskeleton, thereby increasing
clustering and stability of E-cadherin at the contact. Once tension-mediated E-cadherin
stabilization at the contact exceeds a critical threshold level, the rate by which
the contact expands in response to pulling forces from the cortex sharply drops,
leading to smaller contacts at physiologically relevant timescales of contact
formation. Thus, the activity of cortical tension in expanding cell-cell contact
size is limited by tension stabilizing E-cadherin-actin complexes at the contact.
acknowledged_ssus:
- _id: Bio
- _id: EM-Fac
- _id: SSU
acknowledgement: We would like to thank Edouard Hannezo for discussions, Shayan Shami
Pour and Daniel Capek for help with data analysis, Vanessa Barone and other members
of the Heisenberg laboratory for thoughtful discussions and comments on the manuscript.
We also thank Jack Merrin for preparing the microwells, and the Scientific Service
Units at IST Austria, specifically Bioimaging and Electron Microscopy, and the Zebrafish
Facility for continuous support. We acknowledge Hitoshi Morita for the kind gift
of VinculinB-GFP plasmid. This research was supported by an ERC Advanced Grant (MECSPEC)
to C.-P.H, EMBO Long Term grant (ALTF 187-2013) to M.S and IST Fellow Marie-Curie
COFUND No. P_IST_EU01 to J.S.
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Jana
full_name: Slovakova, Jana
id: 30F3F2F0-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Slovakova
- first_name: Mateusz K
full_name: Sikora, Mateusz K
id: 2F74BCDE-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Sikora
- first_name: Silvia
full_name: Caballero Mancebo, Silvia
id: 2F1E1758-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Caballero Mancebo
orcid: 0000-0002-5223-3346
- first_name: Gabriel
full_name: Krens, Gabriel
id: 2B819732-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Krens
orcid: 0000-0003-4761-5996
- first_name: Walter
full_name: Kaufmann, Walter
id: 3F99E422-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Kaufmann
orcid: 0000-0001-9735-5315
- first_name: Karla
full_name: Huljev, Karla
id: 44C6F6A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Huljev
- first_name: Carl-Philipp J
full_name: Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp J
id: 39427864-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Heisenberg
orcid: 0000-0002-0912-4566
citation:
ama: Slovakova J, Sikora MK, Caballero Mancebo S, et al. Tension-dependent stabilization
of E-cadherin limits cell-cell contact expansion. bioRxiv. 2020. doi:10.1101/2020.11.20.391284
apa: Slovakova, J., Sikora, M. K., Caballero Mancebo, S., Krens, G., Kaufmann, W.,
Huljev, K., & Heisenberg, C.-P. J. (2020). Tension-dependent stabilization
of E-cadherin limits cell-cell contact expansion. bioRxiv. Cold Spring
Harbor Laboratory. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.20.391284
chicago: Slovakova, Jana, Mateusz K Sikora, Silvia Caballero Mancebo, Gabriel Krens,
Walter Kaufmann, Karla Huljev, and Carl-Philipp J Heisenberg. “Tension-Dependent
Stabilization of E-Cadherin Limits Cell-Cell Contact Expansion.” BioRxiv.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.20.391284.
ieee: J. Slovakova et al., “Tension-dependent stabilization of E-cadherin
limits cell-cell contact expansion,” bioRxiv. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory,
2020.
ista: Slovakova J, Sikora MK, Caballero Mancebo S, Krens G, Kaufmann W, Huljev K,
Heisenberg C-PJ. 2020. Tension-dependent stabilization of E-cadherin limits cell-cell
contact expansion. bioRxiv, 10.1101/2020.11.20.391284.
mla: Slovakova, Jana, et al. “Tension-Dependent Stabilization of E-Cadherin Limits
Cell-Cell Contact Expansion.” BioRxiv, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 2020,
doi:10.1101/2020.11.20.391284.
short: J. Slovakova, M.K. Sikora, S. Caballero Mancebo, G. Krens, W. Kaufmann, K.
Huljev, C.-P.J. Heisenberg, BioRxiv (2020).
date_created: 2021-07-29T11:29:50Z
date_published: 2020-11-20T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-04-30T22:30:43Z
day: '20'
department:
- _id: CaHe
- _id: EM-Fac
- _id: Bio
doi: 10.1101/2020.11.20.391284
ec_funded: 1
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
url: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.20.391284
month: '11'
oa: 1
oa_version: Preprint
page: '41'
project:
- _id: 25681D80-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
call_identifier: FP7
grant_number: '291734'
name: International IST Postdoc Fellowship Programme
- _id: 260F1432-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
call_identifier: H2020
grant_number: '742573'
name: Interaction and feedback between cell mechanics and fate specification in
vertebrate gastrulation
- _id: 2521E28E-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
grant_number: 187-2013
name: Modulation of adhesion function in cell-cell contact formation by cortical
tension
publication: bioRxiv
publication_status: published
publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
related_material:
record:
- id: '10766'
relation: later_version
status: public
- id: '9623'
relation: dissertation_contains
status: public
status: public
title: Tension-dependent stabilization of E-cadherin limits cell-cell contact expansion
type: preprint
user_id: 8b945eb4-e2f2-11eb-945a-df72226e66a9
year: '2020'
...
---
_id: '1096'
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Cornelia
full_name: Schwayer, Cornelia
id: 3436488C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Schwayer
orcid: 0000-0001-5130-2226
- first_name: Mateusz K
full_name: Sikora, Mateusz K
id: 2F74BCDE-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Sikora
- first_name: Jana
full_name: Slovakova, Jana
id: 30F3F2F0-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Slovakova
- first_name: Roland
full_name: Kardos, Roland
id: 4039350E-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Kardos
- first_name: Carl-Philipp J
full_name: Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp J
id: 39427864-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Heisenberg
orcid: 0000-0002-0912-4566
citation:
ama: Schwayer C, Sikora MK, Slovakova J, Kardos R, Heisenberg C-PJ. Actin rings
of power. Developmental Cell. 2016;37(6):493-506. doi:10.1016/j.devcel.2016.05.024
apa: Schwayer, C., Sikora, M. K., Slovakova, J., Kardos, R., & Heisenberg, C.-P.
J. (2016). Actin rings of power. Developmental Cell. Cell Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2016.05.024
chicago: Schwayer, Cornelia, Mateusz K Sikora, Jana Slovakova, Roland Kardos, and
Carl-Philipp J Heisenberg. “Actin Rings of Power.” Developmental Cell.
Cell Press, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2016.05.024.
ieee: C. Schwayer, M. K. Sikora, J. Slovakova, R. Kardos, and C.-P. J. Heisenberg,
“Actin rings of power,” Developmental Cell, vol. 37, no. 6. Cell Press,
pp. 493–506, 2016.
ista: Schwayer C, Sikora MK, Slovakova J, Kardos R, Heisenberg C-PJ. 2016. Actin
rings of power. Developmental Cell. 37(6), 493–506.
mla: Schwayer, Cornelia, et al. “Actin Rings of Power.” Developmental Cell,
vol. 37, no. 6, Cell Press, 2016, pp. 493–506, doi:10.1016/j.devcel.2016.05.024.
short: C. Schwayer, M.K. Sikora, J. Slovakova, R. Kardos, C.-P.J. Heisenberg, Developmental
Cell 37 (2016) 493–506.
date_created: 2018-12-11T11:50:07Z
date_published: 2016-06-20T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-04-08T13:55:28Z
day: '20'
department:
- _id: CaHe
doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2016.05.024
external_id:
isi:
- '000378204200005'
intvolume: ' 37'
isi: 1
issue: '6'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '06'
oa_version: None
page: 493 - 506
publication: Developmental Cell
publication_status: published
publisher: Cell Press
publist_id: '6279'
quality_controlled: '1'
related_material:
record:
- id: '7186'
relation: part_of_dissertation
status: public
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Actin rings of power
type: journal_article
user_id: 317138e5-6ab7-11ef-aa6d-ffef3953e345
volume: 37
year: '2016'
...
---
_id: '2278'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: It is firmly established that interactions between neurons and glia are fundamental
across species for the correct establishment of a functional brain. Here, we found
that the glia of the Drosophila larval brain display an essential non-autonomous
role during the development of the optic lobe. The optic lobe develops from neuroepithelial
cells that proliferate by dividing symmetrically until they switch to asymmetric/differentiative
divisions that generate neuroblasts. The proneural gene lethal of scute (l9sc)
is transiently activated by the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-Ras signal
transduction pathway at the leading edge of a proneural wave that sweeps from
medial to lateral neuroepithelium, promoting this switch. This process is tightly
regulated by the tissue-autonomous function within the neuroepithelium of multiple
signaling pathways, including EGFR-Ras and Notch. This study shows that the Notch
ligand Serrate (Ser) is expressed in the glia and it forms a complex in vivo with
Notch and Canoe, which colocalize at the adherens junctions of neuroepithelial
cells. This complex is crucial for interactions between glia and neuroepithelial
cells during optic lobe development. Ser is tissue-autonomously required in the
glia where it activates Notch to regulate its proliferation, and non-autonomously
in the neuroepithelium where Ser induces Notch signaling to avoid the premature
activation of the EGFR-Ras pathway and hence of L9sc. Interestingly, different
Notch activity reporters showed very different expression patterns in the glia
and in the neuroepithelium, suggesting the existence of tissue-specific factors
that promote the expression of particular Notch target genes or/and a reporter
response dependent on different thresholds of Notch signaling.
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Raquel
full_name: Pérez Gómez, Raquel
last_name: Pérez Gómez
- first_name: Jana
full_name: Slovakova, Jana
id: 30F3F2F0-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Slovakova
- first_name: Noemí
full_name: Rives Quinto, Noemí
last_name: Rives Quinto
- first_name: Alena
full_name: Krejčí, Alena
last_name: Krejčí
- first_name: Ana
full_name: Carmena, Ana
last_name: Carmena
citation:
ama: Pérez Gómez R, Slovakova J, Rives Quinto N, Krejčí A, Carmena A. A serrate-notch-canoe
complex mediates essential interactions between glia and neuroepithelial cells
during Drosophila optic lobe development. Journal of Cell Science. 2013;126(21):4873-4884.
doi:10.1242/jcs.125617
apa: Pérez Gómez, R., Slovakova, J., Rives Quinto, N., Krejčí, A., & Carmena,
A. (2013). A serrate-notch-canoe complex mediates essential interactions between
glia and neuroepithelial cells during Drosophila optic lobe development. Journal
of Cell Science. Company of Biologists. https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.125617
chicago: Pérez Gómez, Raquel, Jana Slovakova, Noemí Rives Quinto, Alena Krejčí,
and Ana Carmena. “A Serrate-Notch-Canoe Complex Mediates Essential Interactions
between Glia and Neuroepithelial Cells during Drosophila Optic Lobe Development.”
Journal of Cell Science. Company of Biologists, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.125617.
ieee: R. Pérez Gómez, J. Slovakova, N. Rives Quinto, A. Krejčí, and A. Carmena,
“A serrate-notch-canoe complex mediates essential interactions between glia and
neuroepithelial cells during Drosophila optic lobe development,” Journal of
Cell Science, vol. 126, no. 21. Company of Biologists, pp. 4873–4884, 2013.
ista: Pérez Gómez R, Slovakova J, Rives Quinto N, Krejčí A, Carmena A. 2013. A serrate-notch-canoe
complex mediates essential interactions between glia and neuroepithelial cells
during Drosophila optic lobe development. Journal of Cell Science. 126(21), 4873–4884.
mla: Pérez Gómez, Raquel, et al. “A Serrate-Notch-Canoe Complex Mediates Essential
Interactions between Glia and Neuroepithelial Cells during Drosophila Optic Lobe
Development.” Journal of Cell Science, vol. 126, no. 21, Company of Biologists,
2013, pp. 4873–84, doi:10.1242/jcs.125617.
short: R. Pérez Gómez, J. Slovakova, N. Rives Quinto, A. Krejčí, A. Carmena, Journal
of Cell Science 126 (2013) 4873–4884.
date_created: 2018-12-11T11:56:43Z
date_published: 2013-11-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2025-09-29T14:26:53Z
day: '01'
department:
- _id: CaHe
doi: 10.1242/jcs.125617
external_id:
isi:
- '000326392500009'
intvolume: ' 126'
isi: 1
issue: '21'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '11'
oa_version: None
page: 4873 - 4884
publication: Journal of Cell Science
publication_status: published
publisher: Company of Biologists
publist_id: '4658'
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: A serrate-notch-canoe complex mediates essential interactions between glia
and neuroepithelial cells during Drosophila optic lobe development
type: journal_article
user_id: 317138e5-6ab7-11ef-aa6d-ffef3953e345
volume: 126
year: '2013'
...