Friction Forces Crucial in Sea Squirt Oocyte Development, Study Finds
Research reveals how internal friction reshapes and reorganizes oocytes after fertilization, providing new insights into the role of mechanical forces in cell and organismal shape.
- Sea squirt oocytes (immature egg cells) use internal friction to undergo developmental changes after conception, according to a study from the Heisenberg group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA).
- The study found that upon fertilization, friction forces play a crucial role in reshaping and reorganizing the insides of the oocytes, leading to the next steps in their developmental cascade.
- The researchers discovered that increased tension in the actomyosin cortex, a dynamic structure found beneath the cell membrane, causes it to contract and move, resulting in the initial changes of the cell's shape.
- When the actomyosin movement stops, the friction forces also disappear, leading to the expansion of the contraction pole, a bell-like protrusion where essential materials gather that facilitate the embryo's maturation.
- The study provides new insights into how mechanical forces determine cell and organismal shape, showing that friction forces are pivotal for shaping and forming an evolving organism.
ScienceDaily 
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