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Comment
. 2015 Jan 19;25(2):R74-R75.
doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.12.007.

Mechanotransduction: feeling the squeeze in the C. elegans reproductive system

Erin J Cram  1
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Mechanotransduction: feeling the squeeze in the C. elegans reproductive system

Erin J Cram. Curr Biol. .

Abstract

A new study reports that the RhoGAP SPV-1 senses membrane curvature and cell stretch in the Caenorhabditis elegans spermatheca. Without SPV-1, the cells of the spermatheca are hypercontractile, leading to deformation and rapid ejection of the fertilized eggs. The spermatheca may provide a paradigm for understanding how cells detect mechanical stimuli in vivo.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Oocyte entry stretches the spermatheca and reduces curvature of cell membranes
(A) A DIC image of an adult hermaphrodite displaying stretched (left) and relaxed (right) spermathecae overlaid in green. (Images depict expression of the Rho activity sensor, AHPH::GFP [6].) Confocal maximum projection images of (B) spermathecal cells stretched by an oocyte, and (C) a relaxed spermatheca displaying curved cell membranes. Scale bar, 10 mm. (Photo: Jeffrey Bouffard.)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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