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Student Class

2028

Student Affiliation

URAD

First Advisor

Bing He

First Advisor Department

Department of Biological Sciences

Second Advisor

Sophia Micale

Second Advisor Department

Department of Biological Sciences

Abstract

Congenital birth deformities often arise during epithelial morphogenesis, displaying the need to understand the mechanisms underlying this process. Cell shape changes that mediate morphogenesis often require cell surface expansion to accommodate shifts in 3D tissue geometry. Our lab has identified Four Wheel Drive (Fwd), a Golgi-localized phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PI4K) IIIβ ortholog, as a regulator for cell surface expansion during Drosophila ventral furrow formation, a well-characterized model for epithelial folding. We hypothesize that Fwd and Rab11, a regulator of exocytosis and endocytic recycling, coordinate the trans-Golgi network and recycling endosomes to promote vesicle trafficking. Using live imaging of fluorescently tagged Fwd and Rab11, we find that Fwd shows spatial proximity to Rab11-positive compartments during gastrulation. Furthermore, Fwd-deficient embryos display a more uniform hexagonal organization and reduced membrane dynamics prior to gastrulation. During gastrulation, Fwd-deficient embryos exhibit elongated cell morphology, which may reflect alterations in the global pattern of tissue flow or in tissue fluidity, and increased cell displacement, which may reflect stronger mechanical coupling between neighboring cells due to increased cell rigidity. To directly measure how Fwd influences membrane tension, we are developing a genetically encoded membrane tension sensor. Together, these findings and experiments will provide insight into how intracellular trafficking coordinates cell surface expansion and tissue mechanical properties during epithelial morphogenesis.

Publication Date

2026

Keywords

Drosophila, embryogenesis, morphogenesis, ventral furrow formation, Four Wheel Drive (Fwd), PI4-Kinase, Rab11, recycling endosomes, vesicle trafficking, microscopy, membrane tension sensor

Disciplines

Cell Biology | Developmental Biology

Cell surface expansion and tension regulation: how cellular forces shape embryonic development

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