In:
eLife, eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd, Vol. 7 ( 2018-01-23)
Abstract:
As an embryo develops, its cells divide multiple times to transform into the specialized cell types that form our tissues and organs. To carry out specific roles, cells need to be of a certain shape. For example, in mammals, the cells that make up the main portion of the eye lens, develop into a fiber-like shape to be perfectly aligned with each other. This enables them to transmit light to the retina at the rear end of the eye. To do so, the lens cells increase over 1000 times in length with the help of a group of proteins called the Fibroblast Growth Factor, or FGF for short. The FGF pathway includes a network of interacting proteins that transmit signals to molecules inside the lens cells to control how they specialize and grow. However, until now it was not clear how it does this. Here, Zhang et al. used mouse lens-cells grown in the laboratory to investigate how FGF signaling causes cells to change their structure. The experiments revealed two related proteins called Crk and Crkl that linked the FGF pathway with another signaling system. When these two proteins were removed from the lens cells, the lens cells were still able to specialize, but could no longer grow in length. This suggests that these two processes are independent of each other. Moreover, Crk and Crkl helped the cells to change shape by increasing the amount of another group of proteins called Ras, which are known to both help cells to specialize and to regulate their shape. Zhang et al. discovered that the amount of Ras proteins determined whether cells specialized or modified their shape by changing the organization of proteins in the cell. Millions of children are born with cataracts, a disease caused when lens cells fail to shape properly. A better knowledge of FGF signaling may help to understand how cataracts develop and inspire future treatments. Moreover, the pathways identified in this study could also apply to other organs and diseases in which FGF signaling is active.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2050-084X
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.001
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.002
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.003
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.004
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.005
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.006
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.007
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.008
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.009
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.010
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.011
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.012
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.013
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.014
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.015
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.016
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.018
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.32586.019
Language:
English
Publisher:
eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Publication Date:
2018
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2687154-3
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