2025 WINNERS
Making the germline
This video shows the coordination between the germline-determinant germ granules and the F-actin cortex during formation of the primordial germ cells. We find that germ granules prime the F-actin cortex in their immediate vicinity, enriching F-actin at the posterior pole in preparation for arrival of the syncytial nuclei at nuclear cycle 9. As the nuclei arrive, they collect the germ granules, triggering an F-actin transition to form a cohesive dome structure that is propelled outward by buckling forces. As the buds emerge, the nuclei divide before fully pinching off from the syncytium. The video is a Z-projection of the posterior pole; F-actin is shown in magenta while germ granules are shown in green. Scale bar: 10 μm
Video credit: Marcus Kilwein
Marcus D. Kilwein, Pearson Miller, Kwan Yin Lee, Miriam Osterfield, Alex Mogilner, Stanislav Y. Shvartsman, and Elizabeth R. Gavis.
Formation of Drosophila germ cells requires spatial patterning of phospholipids
Current Biology, Volume 35, Issue 7, 1612 - 1621.e3 10.1016/j.cub.2025.01.071
Dynamic nuclear adaptation by immune cells during in vivo confinement
Cells navigating in complex 3D environments often encounter narrow spaces that physically challenge their migration. Here, we harnessed the Drosophila pupal wing to explore how immune cells adapt to confinement in vivo. Using live confocal microscopy, this image captures immune cells (magenta, srp driven mCherry) migrating within narrow wing vessels (epithelial GFP-Moesin, cyan), where vessel confinement triggers nuclear deformation (inset; white, nuclear RFP). Strikingly, we find that vessel-bound immune cells adapt their nuclear lamina composition to enhance nuclear deformability, curb damage (e.g. nuclear rupture), and thereby optimise motility in vivo.
Image Credit: Tua Karling
Tua Karling and Helen Weavers
Immune cells adapt to confined environments in vivo to optimise nuclear plasticity for migration.
EMBO Reports 26, 1238-1268 (2025)
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1038/s44319-025-00381-0