CDB Seminar - Romain Levayer, Institut Pasteur, Paris

Host: Masa Tada

Talk abstract: While the signals regulating apoptosis during development are rather well known, what sets the precise spatio-temporal distribution of cell death and the adjustment of cell elimination to local perturbations is not well understood. Similarly, how cells eventually engage in apoptosis and how the removal of cells from epithelial layer is orchestrated through cell extrusion remained poorly understood, especially in vivo. In this seminar, I will present our recent attempt to dissect these two layers of regulation in the Drosophila pupal notum (a single layer epithelium). I will first describe the contribution of EGFR/ERK modulations by mechanics in the competitive elimination of cells by oncogenic clones. I will then illustrate how the same pathway help to fine tune the spatio-temporal distribution of cell elimination during homeostasis through local and transient feedbacks. Eventually I will describe our latest data on the regulation of cell extrusion by a caspase dependent disassembly of microtubules and their unexpected contribution to epithelial shape stabilisation.

Suggested references:

- Villars, A., Matamoro-Vidal, A., Levillayer, F., and Levayer, R. (2021). Microtubule disassembly by caspases is the rate-limiting step of cell extrusion. bioRxiv, 2021.2010.2015.464503.

- Valon, L., Davidovic A., Levillayer, F., Villars, A., Chouly, M., Cerqueira-Campos, F., & Levayer, R. Robustness of epithelial sealing is an emerging property of local ERK feedback driven by cell elimination. Developmental Cell 56, 1-12. (2021)

- Matamoro-Vidal, A. & Levayer, R. Multiple Influences of Mechanical Forces on Cell Competition. Curr Biol 29, R762-R774, doi:10.1016/j.cub.2019.06.030 (2019).

- Moreno, E., Valon, L., Levillayer, F. & Levayer, R. Competition for Space Induces Cell Elimination through Compaction-Driven ERK Downregulation. Curr Biol, 29, 23-34 e28, doi:10.1016/j.cub.2018.11.007 (2019).

Zoom Meeting:
https://ucl.zoom.us/j/93174128570?pwd=SjVibzVHbGE1N0FkdlpBUXIzTHVpZz09Meeting

ID: 931 7412 8570
Passcode: 754767