%0 Journal Article
%T Cell-size-dependent regulation of Ezrin dictates epithelial resilience to stretch by countering myosin-II-mediated contractility.
%A Chouhan G
%A Lewis NS
%A Ghanekar V
%A Koti Ainavarapu SR
%A Inamdar MM
%A Sonawane M
%J Cell Rep
%V 43
%N 6
%D 2024 Jun 25
%M 38823013
暂无%R 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114271
%X The epithelial adaptations to mechanical stress are facilitated by molecular and tissue-scale changes that include the strengthening of junctions, cytoskeletal reorganization, and cell-proliferation-mediated changes in tissue rheology. However, the role of cell size in controlling these properties remains underexplored. Our experiments in the zebrafish embryonic epidermis, guided by theoretical estimations, reveal a link between epithelial mechanics and cell size, demonstrating that an increase in cell size compromises the tissue fracture strength and compliance. We show that an increase in E-cadherin levels in the proliferation-deficient epidermis restores epidermal compliance but not the fracture strength, which is largely regulated by Ezrin-an apical membrane-cytoskeleton crosslinker. We show that Ezrin fortifies the epithelium in a cell-size-dependent manner by countering non-muscle myosin-II-mediated contractility. This work uncovers the importance of cell size maintenance in regulating the mechanical properties of the epithelium and fostering protection against future mechanical stresses.