# Dynamic analysis of apical constriction activity during neural tube closure

> **NIH NIH F32** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · 2020 · $39,648

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract:
Neural tube closure is a necessary stage of vertebrate embryonic development during which the central
nervous system is formed. Failures of neural tube closure, termed neural tube closure defects, are common
and serious birth defects that can be either debilitating or fatal. Despite the importance of neural tube closure
to vertebrate development, little is known about the morphogenetic cell behaviors underlying this process. One
important process in neural tube closure is apical constriction, where the epithelial cells shrink their apical
surfaces through actomyosin contractions, facilitating tissue bending and proper closure of the neural tube.
Failure of apical constriction results in lethal neural tube defects such as anencephaly. Several genes
regulating apical constriction in the neural plate have been identified, but it is unknown how various modes of
actomyosin contractions contribute to apical constriction and how apical constriction genes contribute to those
modes of actomyosin contractions.
This proposal contains experiments that will quantitatively describe actomyosin contractions and apical
constriction across the neural plate during neural tube closure. This will be achieved thorough live-imaging of
cell shape and cell behavior via cell junctions, and actomyosin dynamics via actin and myosin. Data on cell
behavior and actomyosin will then be used to map apical constriction behaviors spatially and temporally to the
neural plate in order to understand how various modes of actomyosin contraction contribute to neural tube
closure.
In addition, it is proposed to examine how the neural tube closure genes Shroom3 (necessary for apical
constriction) and N-cadherin (necessary for adhesion) contribute to actomyosin contractions during neural tube
closure. Gene function will be assessed by using CRISPR/Cas9 mutatgenesis to generate both mosaic and
tissue-wide mutants for both Shroom3 and N-cadherin. CRISPR/Cas9 will also be used to generate
fluorescent-labeled endogenous N-cadherin in order to mark cell junctions and examine N-cadherin dynamics
in live cells.
Overall, this proposal aims to both quantitatively analyze a little-studied cell behavior which is necessary to
neural tube closure and implicated in serious birth defects. In addition, molecular tools and strategies will be
developed to aid study of neural tube closure in proposed experiments and into the future.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10267657
- **Project number:** 5F32HD094521-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
- **Principal Investigator:** Austin Baldwin
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $39,648
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-04-01 → 2021-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10267657

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10267657, Dynamic analysis of apical constriction activity during neural tube closure (5F32HD094521-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10267657. Licensed CC0.

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