Publications by authors named "Anna Julia Squarr"
Directional cell movements during morphogenesis require the coordinated interplay between membrane receptors and the actin cytoskeleton. The WAVE regulatory complex (WRC) is a conserved actin regulator. Here, we found that the atypical cadherin Fat2 recruits the WRC to basal membranes of tricellular contacts where a new type of planar-polarized whip-like actin protrusion is formed.
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- Ena/VASP proteins and the WAVE regulatory complex (WRC) work together to enhance actin polymerization, which is crucial for cell motility.
- Their interaction, specifically between the Ena/VASP EVH1 domain and a proline-rich motif in Abi, boosts cell migration by promoting Arp2/3 complex-mediated actin assembly when Rac is present.
- Disruption of this interaction in Drosophila macrophages leads to impaired lamellipodia formation and other developmental defects, highlighting the importance of the Ena-Abi partnership in cellular processes like axon targeting and oogenesis.
Molecular understanding of actin dynamics requires a genetically traceable model system that allows live cell imaging together with high-resolution microscopy techniques. Here, we used Drosophila pupal macrophages that combine many advantages of cultured cells with a genetic in vivo model system. Using structured illumination microscopy together with advanced spinning disk confocal microscopy we show that these cells provide a powerful system for single gene analysis.
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