The Conduit a published a new article in Journal of Cell Biology: A structural model for the autoinhibition of the γ-TuRC–activating CM1 domain Abstract: Microtubule nucleation by γ-tubulin ring complexes (γ-TuRCs) must be spatiotemporally controlled to avoid major cell division errors. γ-TuRCs are activated by the centrosome-specific binding of a highly conserved centrosomin motif 1 (CM1) domain,…

The Ladoux/Mège published a new article in Nature Communications: A principal-stress rule for cell division in epithelia Abstract: Dense active materials must continuously relieve internal mechanical stress to remain structurally stable as they are driven far from equilibrium. In epithelial tissues, this relief occurs through cell division, where, according to Hertwig’s century-old rule, cells divide along their…

The Bonazzi Lab published a new article in Nature Communications: Bacterial growth under confinement requires transcriptional adaptation to resist turgor pressure build-up Abstract: Bacterial proliferation in confined spaces occurs in biofilms, intracellular compartments, or infection sites, generating mechanical constraints. We investigated how growth-induced mechanical pressure affects bacterial physiology using a microfluidic device ensuring nutrient access. We found…

The Ladoux/Mège Lab published a new article in Nature Communications: Extracellular-matrix mediated stresses spatially bias myoblast fusion and myotube growth Abstract: Myoblast fusion into multinucleated myotubes is essential for skeletal muscle development and repair, yet how tissue-scale mechanics contributes to this process remains poorly understood. Here, we show that primary myoblasts behave as an evolving active nematic…

The  Duharcourt lab published a review in Nature Reviews Genetics: The mechanistic and evolutionary diversity of programmed DNA elimination Abstract: Beyond somatic mutations, the genetic makeup of an organism is often assumed to remain constant across all cells or nuclei within individuals. However, some organisms exhibit programmed DNA elimination (PDE), whereby specific cell lineages lose DNA segments…

The Veitia lab published a new article in FASEB Journal: Nonlinearities and Switch-Like Behavior in Gene Expression: From Genetics to Biochemistry and Back. Abstract: Many developmental and physiological outcomes depend on transcriptional thresholds or switches. The transcriptional output, ultimately measured as mature RNA, is determined by a series of molecular steps that can introduce thresholds, bottlenecks, or…

The Prioleau Lab published a new article in The FEBS Journal: Ploidy-dependent modulation of DNA replication kinetics in Xenopus Abstract: An important question in cell biology is how DNA replication programs scale with genome size following polyploidization, an evolutionary process that increases DNA content without proportionally extending the cell cycle duration. In particular, comparative analyses across…

The Guichet lab published a new article in mBio: Fast and tortuous: extreme deformations and fast movements of the cell nucleus are driven by microtubules in the model fungus Podospora anserina Abstract: Nuclear movement, positioning, and the mechanical constraints applied to the nucleus play important roles in cellular identity, physiology, and gene regulation. This process, known as nuclear…

The Veitia lab published a new article in FASEB Journal: Modification of the Transcription Factor FOXL2 at Serines 101 and 107 Disables DNA Binding, Leads to Nucleolar Relocalization, and Rewires Granulosa-Cell Programs Abstract: FOXL2 is a forkhead transcription factor (TF) essential for granulosa-cell identity and function, yet how post-translational modifications tune its activity remains incompletely understood. Here,…