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Comments on Scholze MJ et al. (2018) Development "PI(4,5)P2 forms dynamic cortical structures and directs actin distribution as well as polarity in C. elegans embryos." (0)
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Scholze MJ, Barbieux KS, De Simone A, Boumasmoud M, Suess CCN, Wang R, & Gonczy P (2018). PI(4,5)P2 forms dynamic cortical structures and directs actin distribution as well as polarity in C. elegans embryos. Development. doi:10.1242/dev.164988
Asymmetric division is crucial for embryonic development and stem cell lineages. In the one-cell <i>C. elegans</i> embryo, a contractile cortical actomyosin network contributes to asymmetric division by segregating PAR proteins to discrete cortical domains. Here, we discovered that the plasma membrane lipid phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP<sub>2</sub>) localizes to polarized dynamic structures in <i>C. elegans</i> zygotes, distributing in a PAR-dependent manner along the anterior-posterior (A-P) embryonic axis. PIP<sub>2</sub> cortical structures overlap with F-actin, and coincide with the actin regulators RHO-1, CDC-42 as well as ECT-2. Particle image velocimetry analysis revealed that PIP<sub>2</sub> and F-actin cortical movements are coupled, with PIP<sub>2</sub> structures moving slightly ahead. Importantly, we established that PIP<sub>2</sub> cortical structure formation and movement is actin-dependent. Conversely, we found that decreasing or increasing the level of PIP<sub>2</sub> results in severe F-actin disorganization, revealing interdependence between these components. Furthermore, we uncovered that PIP<sub>2</sub> and F-actin regulate the sizing of PAR cortical domains, including during the maintenance phase of polarization. Overall, our work establishes that a lipid membrane component, PIP<sub>2</sub>, modulates actin organization and cell polarity in <i>C. elegans</i> embryos.
