# Mechanoregulation of Cell Functions during Embryogenesis

> **NIH NIH R01** · FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER CENTER · 2022 · $357,896

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Sculpting complex morphological body plans requires the precise orchestration of biophysical and
biochemical cues to control the wide range of behaviors demanded of individual cells, as well as groups
of cells. Biomechanical forces at the cell level affect the functions of the cell cortex: the plasma
membrane and its underlying cortical cytoskeleton. These mechanical cues must be sensed by the cell,
then properly acted upon, with the failure to do so leading to abnormal development. Thus, cell
mechanoregulation is of fundamental developmental and cell biology interest and significant clinical
relevance. The general aim of this proposal is to delineate the contribution of mechanoregulatory
signals to cell functions required for normal development, and the consequences of their mis-regulation
leading to aberrant cell functions and/or developmental disorders. Drosophila provides an excellent,
genetically amenable, model in which to investigate these fundamental processes due to its
accessibility to dynamic in vivo imaging and the wealth of state-of-the-art developmental/cell/molecular
techniques and reagents available. Our long-term goal is to understand how mechanical cues are
sensed, then acted upon, by cells to guide their functions during embryogenesis. To this end, we
propose to use the forces generated by cellular wounding as an inducible system in which to study the
mechanical properties of the cell cortex, including membrane tension, cortical cytoskeleton dynamics
and the integration of these properties. The specific aims of this proposal are: 1) to determine the
nature of the scaffold at the embryo cortex involved in tension regulation, and 2) to elucidate the
mechanisms regulating actomyosin organization necessary for generating contractile forces within
cells. The information gathered in these studies will provide new insight into the mechanical
characteristics of the cell, as well as provide a better understanding of how the cell interprets the
intrinsic and extrinsic forces acting upon it to orchestrate complex functions and interactions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10407016
- **Project number:** 5R01HD095798-06
- **Recipient organization:** FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** SUSAN M PARKHURST
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $357,896
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-20 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10407016

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10407016, Mechanoregulation of Cell Functions during Embryogenesis (5R01HD095798-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10407016. Licensed CC0.

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