How cells generate forces

When an organism develops, masses of cells combine to form different types of tissue, all of which have different functions. In order to be able to form and to move, a cell needs to generate mechanical forces by remodelling its cytoskeleton, which consists of various filaments. Filaments from the actin protein, for example, contract and expand. However, not much is currently known about the mechanical forces which are produced by other components of the cytoskeleton. To change this, researchers from Münster and Munich took a closer look at the microtubules, which are tubular filaments that form part of the cytoskeleton. The scientists used genetic, chemical and microscopic methods to show for the first time in a living organism that microtubules play a central role in the cell mechanics and also found out more about the molecular mechanisms that control them. "Our results show how microtubules contribute to collective cell behaviour during tissue morphogenesis," says biologist Dr. Maja Matis, a group leader at the Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence at Münster University and head of the study.