# Myosin cluster dynamics determines epithelial wound ring constriction

## TL;DR

The study shows how myosin clusters in epithelial cells help close wounds by controlling ring constriction and stress distribution.

## Contribution

The paper demonstrates that myosin cluster dynamics are conserved in multi-cellular systems and can predict stress and shape changes.

## Key findings

- Myosin clusters in multicellular actomyosin rings exhibit radial and tangential dynamics.
- The proportion of cluster types determines the speed of wound closure.
- Cluster dynamics can serve as a readout for stress distribution in tissues.

## Abstract

Collection of myosin motors and actin filaments can self-assemble into submicrometric clusters under the regulation of RhoA. Emergent dynamics of these clusters have been reported in a variety of morphogenetic systems, ranging from Drosophila to actomyosin assays in vitro. In single-cell cytokinetic rings, actomyosin clusters contribute to stress generation when their dynamics are radial, and they facilitate transport when their dynamics are tangential to the direction of ring closure. Here, we show that these phenomena hold true for actomyosin multi-cellular rings during wound closure in epithelial monolayers. We assessed the activity of RhoA using FRET sensors, and we report that cluster dynamics does not correlate with RhoA activity. Nevertheless, we show that bursts of RhoA activation precede recruitment of myosin. Altogether myosin clusters dynamics is conserved between single and multi-cellular systems, and this suggests that they could be used as generic read-outs for mapping and predicting stress generation and shape changes in morphogenesis.

•Myosin clusters appear in multicellular actomyosin ring•Two types of moving clusters co-exist: tangential and radial clusters•Their proportions are determinant for the speed of ring closure•Clusters dynamics could serve as readout for stress distribution in tissues

Myosin clusters appear in multicellular actomyosin ring

Two types of moving clusters co-exist: tangential and radial clusters

Their proportions are determinant for the speed of ring closure

Clusters dynamics could serve as readout for stress distribution in tissues

Cell biology; Organizational aspects of cell biology