Life Sciences Commons^™

Zyxin Regulates Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition By Mediating Actin-Membrane Linkages At Cell-Cell Junctions, Liv Rebecca Sperry

Theses and Dissertations

Development is punctuated by morphogenetic rearrangements of epithelial tissues, including complete detachment of individual motile cells during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Dramatic actin rearrangements occur as cell-cell junctions are dismantled and cells become independently motile during EMT. Characterizing dynamic actin rearrangements and identifying actin machinery driving these rearrangements is essential for understanding basic mechanisms of cell-cell junction remodeling; yet, neither the precise series of actin rearrangements at cell-cell junctions that accompany EMT, nor the machinery that controls actin rearrangement during EMT, have been identified. This work represents a detailed study of junctional actin reorganization in cells undergoing EMT, identifies actin regulatory …