Calcium transients regulate the apical emergence of basally located progenitors during Xenopus skin development

Abstract The integration of basally located progenitors into an existing epithelium, termed apical emergence, is crucial for the morphogenesis and homeostasis of epithelial tissues and organs. Using Xenopus as a model system, we explore the role of intracellular calcium in apical emergence during th...

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Main Authors: Neophytos Christodoulou, Paris A. Skourides
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61610-7
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author Neophytos Christodoulou
Paris A. Skourides
author_facet Neophytos Christodoulou
Paris A. Skourides
author_sort Neophytos Christodoulou
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The integration of basally located progenitors into an existing epithelium, termed apical emergence, is crucial for the morphogenesis and homeostasis of epithelial tissues and organs. Using Xenopus as a model system, we explore the role of intracellular calcium in apical emergence during the development of mucociliary skin epithelium. Our findings reveal that calcium transients precede the apical emergence of Multiciliated cell (MCC) progenitors and are essential for their insertion into the overlying skin epithelium. Furthermore, we demonstrate that phospholipase C (PLC) activity is required for generating calcium transients, which regulate MCC apical emergence via Calmodulin. The PLC/Ca²⁺/Calmodulin axis is necessary for the function of the apical actin network by influencing its stability. Lastly, we show that intracellular calcium regulates apical emergence in distinct basal progenitors. This study advances our understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing apical emergence and highlights the importance of calcium in coordinating cytoskeletal dynamics during epithelial morphogenesis.
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spelling doaj-art-77a5297d2f7b49d7adba4fb931e828b02025-08-20T04:03:02ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111710.1038/s41467-025-61610-7Calcium transients regulate the apical emergence of basally located progenitors during Xenopus skin developmentNeophytos Christodoulou0Paris A. Skourides1Department of Biological Sciences, University of CyprusDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of CyprusAbstract The integration of basally located progenitors into an existing epithelium, termed apical emergence, is crucial for the morphogenesis and homeostasis of epithelial tissues and organs. Using Xenopus as a model system, we explore the role of intracellular calcium in apical emergence during the development of mucociliary skin epithelium. Our findings reveal that calcium transients precede the apical emergence of Multiciliated cell (MCC) progenitors and are essential for their insertion into the overlying skin epithelium. Furthermore, we demonstrate that phospholipase C (PLC) activity is required for generating calcium transients, which regulate MCC apical emergence via Calmodulin. The PLC/Ca²⁺/Calmodulin axis is necessary for the function of the apical actin network by influencing its stability. Lastly, we show that intracellular calcium regulates apical emergence in distinct basal progenitors. This study advances our understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing apical emergence and highlights the importance of calcium in coordinating cytoskeletal dynamics during epithelial morphogenesis.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61610-7
spellingShingle Neophytos Christodoulou
Paris A. Skourides
Calcium transients regulate the apical emergence of basally located progenitors during Xenopus skin development
Nature Communications
title Calcium transients regulate the apical emergence of basally located progenitors during Xenopus skin development
title_full Calcium transients regulate the apical emergence of basally located progenitors during Xenopus skin development
title_fullStr Calcium transients regulate the apical emergence of basally located progenitors during Xenopus skin development
title_full_unstemmed Calcium transients regulate the apical emergence of basally located progenitors during Xenopus skin development
title_short Calcium transients regulate the apical emergence of basally located progenitors during Xenopus skin development
title_sort calcium transients regulate the apical emergence of basally located progenitors during xenopus skin development
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61610-7
work_keys_str_mv AT neophytoschristodoulou calciumtransientsregulatetheapicalemergenceofbasallylocatedprogenitorsduringxenopusskindevelopment
AT parisaskourides calciumtransientsregulatetheapicalemergenceofbasallylocatedprogenitorsduringxenopusskindevelopment