MECHANICS OF CELL SHAPE DEFORMATION IN CYTOKINESIS AND CELL EXTRUSION

Abstract

Cytokinesis and cell extrusion are essential cellular events that determine tissue homeostasis, which are controlled by different biochemical signals. Cytokinesis and cell extrusion are both characterized by their drastic cell shape deformations that are driven by contractions of the actomyosin cortex on cell surfaces. From the literature, the details of the physical mechanism that govern the coordination of actomyosin cortex contractions that result in directional cell deformations are still unclear. In this project, computational simulations were designed to investigate the physical mechanism that coordinate actomyosin cortex contractility to generate a profile of active tensions on the cellular surface that drive a sequence of cell shape deformations to achieve cytokinesis and cell extrusions. The simulations revealed insights about how biophysical conditions and specific actomyosin properties guided cell deformations in the process.