---
OA_place: publisher
_id: '20441'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: "Epithelial spreading plays a pivotal role in the development of organisms
    especially those\r\nsuch as zebrafish which require the epithelial enveloping
    layer (EVL) to spread to cover the\r\nsubstantial yolk surface during gastrulation.
    Epiboly requires the transition of the epithelium\r\nwith cuboidal cells to form
    a thin, flat squamous epithelial sheet. During this transition, the\r\ncells show
    tissue-scale mechanosensation with mechanisms such as direct mechanical control\r\nover
    the axis of cell division.\r\nCytoskeletal intermediate filaments play a crucial
    role in vertebrate cells, not only facilitating\r\nmechanical stability but also
    helping facilitate the mechanosensitive response of the cell.\r\nMechanosenstivity
    displayed by intermediate filaments is due not just to their interesting\r\nphysical
    properties but also to their interactions with other cytoskeletal elements such
    as actin\r\nand microtubules. Keratin is the predominant intermediate filament
    expressed in the EVL.\r\nIt expresses concomitantly with the gastrulation movements
    of the developing embryo. Our\r\nwork focuses on understanding the role and dynamics
    of the keratin cytoskeletal network in\r\nmodulating the physical aspects of EVL
    spreading. We demonstrated with the combination of\r\nphysical characterisation
    and manipulations of the EVL, utilising a variety of biophysical tools\r\nand
    microscopy, the mechanistic role of keratin in tissue spreading.\r\nGenerating
    novel genetic morphants and mutants, we probe the effect that the loss of the\r\nkeratin
    network has on the physiology of the epithelium and the developing embryo. We\r\nshow
    that the changing organisation of the keratin network is important for changing
    EVL\r\nphysical properties as the stress imposed on the EVL increases during epiboly.
    By modelling\r\nthe epithelium, we study how the mechanical heterogeneity in an
    epithelium can feed back into\r\na mechanical loop to the maturation of the keratin
    network and hence affect the mechanics\r\nof the epithelium. However, unlike what
    would be predicted by the effect of intermediate\r\nfilaments in acting as a security
    belt and increasing the resistance of the epithelium, we observe\r\nthat loss
    of keratin leads to a delay in the EVL movement. Using both local aspirations
    of the\r\nYSL and EVL ablations, we demonstrate the mechanistic facilitation of
    actin mechanosensation\r\nin a keratin-dependent manner.\r\nFurthermore, using
    chemical inhibitors of microtubule polymerisation, we provide insight into\r\nthe
    mechanisms underlying the organisation and distribution of keratin. Interestingly,
    the\r\nphenotype observed upon this loss of microtubules shows that keratins interact
    with the nucleus\r\nthrough microtubular interactions. Together with these diverse
    observations, we describe\r\nthe mechanosensory feedback between resilience and
    that is critical for uniform and robust\r\nspreading of the epithelium."
acknowledged_ssus:
- _id: Bio
- _id: LifeSc
acknowledgement: "I would also like to thank the LSF and Cryo facility at ISTA, which
  have been helpful in my\r\nexperiments. I would also like to acknowledge FWF, grant
  DOI 10.55776/PAT5044023 and JKU Nanocell grant DOI \r\n10.55776/W1250 for providing
  funding for my PhD research. EMBO and FWF for providing funding for travel grants
  to attend conferences."
alternative_title:
- ISTA Thesis
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Suyash
  full_name: Naik, Suyash
  id: 2C0B105C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Naik
  orcid: 0000-0001-8421-5508
citation:
  ama: Naik S. Keratins act as global coordinators of tissue spreading through mechanosensitive
    feedback. 2025. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20441">10.15479/AT-ISTA-20441</a>
  apa: Naik, S. (2025). <i>Keratins act as global coordinators of tissue spreading
    through mechanosensitive feedback</i>. Institute of Science and Technology Austria.
    <a href="https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20441">https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20441</a>
  chicago: Naik, Suyash. “Keratins Act as Global Coordinators of Tissue Spreading
    through Mechanosensitive Feedback.” Institute of Science and Technology Austria,
    2025. <a href="https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20441">https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20441</a>.
  ieee: S. Naik, “Keratins act as global coordinators of tissue spreading through
    mechanosensitive feedback,” Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 2025.
  ista: Naik S. 2025. Keratins act as global coordinators of tissue spreading through
    mechanosensitive feedback. Institute of Science and Technology Austria.
  mla: Naik, Suyash. <i>Keratins Act as Global Coordinators of Tissue Spreading through
    Mechanosensitive Feedback</i>. Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 2025,
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20441">10.15479/AT-ISTA-20441</a>.
  short: S. Naik, Keratins Act as Global Coordinators of Tissue Spreading through
    Mechanosensitive Feedback, Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 2025.
corr_author: '1'
date_created: 2025-10-10T14:58:30Z
date_published: 2025-10-12T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-04-07T11:58:57Z
day: '12'
ddc:
- '596'
- '597'
- '532'
degree_awarded: PhD
department:
- _id: GradSch
- _id: CaHe
- _id: EdHa
doi: 10.15479/AT-ISTA-20441
file:
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  date_updated: 2025-10-28T13:10:08Z
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file_date_updated: 2025-10-28T13:10:26Z
has_accepted_license: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
month: '10'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: '105'
project:
- _id: 8f060199-16d5-11f0-9cad-f3253b266c46
  grant_number: PAT 5044023
  name: Keratins in epithelial tissue spreading
- _id: 25AA5F24-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
  call_identifier: FWF
  grant_number: W 1250-B20
  name: Nano-Analytics of Cellular Systems
publication_identifier:
  isbn:
  - 978-3-99078-069-5
  issn:
  - 2663-337X
publication_status: published
publisher: Institute of Science and Technology Austria
related_material:
  record:
  - id: '20465'
    relation: part_of_dissertation
    status: public
status: public
supervisor:
- 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
- first_name: Edouard B
  full_name: Hannezo, Edouard B
  id: 3A9DB764-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Hannezo
  orcid: 0000-0001-6005-1561
title: Keratins act as global coordinators of tissue spreading through mechanosensitive
  feedback
tmp:
  image: /images/cc_by_sa.png
  legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode
  name: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CC
    BY-SA 4.0)
  short: CC BY-SA (4.0)
type: dissertation
user_id: ba8df636-2132-11f1-aed0-ed93e2281fdd
year: '2025'
...