The actomyosin cortex is responsible for cell shape and for dynamic processes such as cell polarization and cytokinesis. We are studying the regulation of cortical contractility in the C. elegans<\/em> zygote, using genetic loss of function and live-imaging. In my talk, I will discuss recent findings regarding two proteins: the actin cross-linking protein plastin (PLST-1) and the transmembrane receptor E-cadherin (HMR-1). Consistent with previous in-vitro reconstitution studies, we show that an optimal level of cross-linking by plastin is required for the generation of coordinated long-range contractions in the cortex; without the connectivity afforded by plastin, zygote polarization and cytokinesis are severely perturbed. E-cadherin is well known for its role as a cell-cell adhesion receptor.<\/p>\n Surprisingly, we discovered a role for non-junctional E-cadherin clusters in regulating cortical contractility. E-cadherin clusters inhibit RhoA and non-muscle myosin II activity at the cortex and form a physical barrier that slows actin flows. In the absence of non-junctional E-cadherin cytokinesis proceeds faster, but the cortex is also at a risk of detaching from the plasma membrane. Thus, our studies in the C. elegans<\/em> zygote are shedding light on structural and regulatory mechanisms underlying cortex function.<\/p>","excerpt":" Regulation of actomyosin contractility in C. elegans<\/p>","slug":"ibec-seminar-ronen-zaidel-bar-2","image":false,"all_day":false,"start_date":"2017-07-25 10:00:00","start_date_details":{"year":"2017","month":"07","day":"25","hour":"10","minutes":"00","seconds":"00"},"end_date":"2017-07-25 11:00:00","end_date_details":{"year":"2017","month":"07","day":"25","hour":"11","minutes":"00","seconds":"00"},"utc_start_date":"2017-07-25 08:00:00","utc_start_date_details":{"year":"2017","month":"07","day":"25","hour":"08","minutes":"00","seconds":"00"},"utc_end_date":"2017-07-25 09:00:00","utc_end_date_details":{"year":"2017","month":"07","day":"25","hour":"09","minutes":"00","seconds":"00"},"timezone":"Europe\/Madrid","timezone_abbr":"CEST","cost":"","cost_details":{"currency_symbol":"","currency_code":"","currency_position":"prefix","values":[]},"website":"","show_map":false,"show_map_link":false,"hide_from_listings":false,"sticky":false,"featured":false,"categories":[{"name":"IBEC Seminar","slug":"ibec-seminar","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":108,"taxonomy":"tribe_events_cat","description":"","parent":0,"count":340,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0","id":105,"urls":{"self":"https:\/\/ibecbarcelona.eu\/ca\/wp-json\/tribe\/events\/v1\/categories\/105","collection":"https:\/\/ibecbarcelona.eu\/ca\/wp-json\/tribe\/events\/v1\/categories"}}],"tags":[],"venue":{"id":27435,"author":"4","status":"publish","date":"2017-02-03 11:34:17","date_utc":"2017-02-03 10:34:17","modified":"2017-02-03 11:34:17","modified_utc":"2017-02-03 10:34:17","url":"https:\/\/ibecbarcelona.eu\/recinte\/ibec-floor-11-tower-i-11\/","venue":"IBEC, floor 11, Tower I","slug":"ibec-floor-11-tower-i-11","address":"Baldiri Reixac 4-8","city":"08028 Barcelona","country":"Spain","json_ld":{"@type":"Place","name":"IBEC, floor 11, Tower I","description":"","url":"","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"Baldiri Reixac 4-8","addressLocality":"08028 Barcelona","addressCountry":"Spain"},"telephone":"","sameAs":""},"show_map":true,"show_map_link":true,"global_id":"ibecbarcelona.eu\/ca\/?id=27435","global_id_lineage":["ibecbarcelona.eu\/ca\/?id=27435"]},"organizer":[],"custom_fields":[],"json_ld":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Event","name":"IBEC Seminar: Ronen Zaidel-Bar","description":"<p>Regulation of actomyosin contractility in C. elegans<\/p>\\n","url":"https:\/\/ibecbarcelona.eu\/ca\/event\/ibec-seminar-ronen-zaidel-bar-2\/","eventAttendanceMode":"https:\/\/schema.org\/OfflineEventAttendanceMode","eventStatus":"https:\/\/schema.org\/EventScheduled","startDate":"2017-07-25T10:00:00+02:00","endDate":"2017-07-25T11:00:00+02:00","location":{"@type":"Place","name":"IBEC, floor 11, Tower I","description":"","url":"","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"Baldiri Reixac 4-8","addressLocality":"08028 Barcelona","addressCountry":"Spain"},"telephone":"","sameAs":""},"performer":"Organization"}}