Migratory cells use distinct motility modes to navigate different microenvironments, but it is unclear whether these modes rely on the same core set of polarity components. To investigate this, we disrupted actin-related protein 2/3 (Arp2/3) and the WASP-family verprolin homologous protein (WAVE) complex, which assemble branched actin networks that are essential for neutrophil polarity and motility in standard adherent conditions. Surprisingly, confinement rescues polarity and movement of neutrophils lacking these components, revealing a processive bleb-based protrusion program that is mechanistically distinct from the branched actin-based protrusion program but shares some of the same core components and underlying molecular logic. We further find that the restriction of protrusion growth to one site does not always respond to membrane tension directly, as previously thought, but may rely on closely linked properties such as local membrane curvature. Our work reveals a hidden circuit for neutrophil polarity and indicates that cells have distinct molecular mechanisms for polarization that dominate in different microenvironments.

Dynamic processes like cell migration and morphogenesis emerge from the self-organized interaction between signalling and cytoskeletal rearrangements. How are these molecular to sub-cellular scale processes integrated to enable cell-wide responses? A growing body of recent studies suggest that forces generated by cytoskeletal dynamics and motor activity at the cellular or tissue scale can organize processes ranging from cell movement, polarity and division to the coordination of responses across fields of cells. To do so, forces not only act mechanically but also engage with biochemical signalling. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of this dynamic crosstalk between biochemical signalling, self-organized cortical actomyosin dynamics and physical forces with a special focus on the role of membrane tension in integrating cellular motility.This article is part of the theme issue 'Self-organization in cell biology'.

Migratory cells use distinct motility modes to navigate different microenvironments, but it is unclear whether these modes rely on the same core set of polarity components. To investigate this, we disrupted Arp2/3 and WAVE complex, which assemble branched actin networks that are essential for neutrophil polarity and motility in standard adherent conditions. Surprisingly, confinement rescues polarity and movement of neutrophils lacking these components, revealing a processive bleb-based protrusion program that is mechanistically distinct from the branched actin-based protrusion program but shares some of the same core components and underlying molecular logic. We further find that the restriction of protrusion growth to one site does not always respond to membrane tension directly, as previously thought, but may rely on closely linked properties such as local membrane curvature. Our work reveals a hidden circuit for neutrophil polarity and indicates that cells have distinct molecular mechanisms for polarization that dominate in different microenvironments.to produce a single protrusion ( Fig. 1A) (Diz-Muñoz et al., 2016;Houk et al., 2012;Keren et al., 2008;Sens and Plastino, 2015).While actin polymerization serves as a key ingredient in generating the positive and negative feedback loops that give rise to polarity, we lack an understanding of how specific types of actin networks provide each kind of feedback. Immune cells assemble multiple actin networks at different subcellular locations that carry out distinct functions to support migration: Arp2/3dependent assembly of branched actin networks at the leading edge contributes to cell guidance/steering and protrusion extension, while actomyosin bundles near the trailing edge provide contractile force to lift the cell rear and squeeze the cell body forward (Lämmermann and Germain, 2014;Moreau et al., 2018). Along with these functional differences, the types of actin networks immune cells and other migratory cells employ for migration vary with microenvironment (Lämmermann and Germain, 2014;Paluch et al., 2016). The role of actin dynamics in migration is complex and likely depends on the type of actin network, its subcellular location, and the extracellular environment. Existing tools to probe the role of actin networks in both the positive and negative feedback loops needed for polarity are fairly crude and have largely been based on pharmacological perturbations that target all actin polymer (Diz-Muñoz et al., 2016;Huang et al., 2013;Inoue and Meyer, 2008;Sasaki et al., 2007;Wang et al., 2002;Weiner et al., 2007;Yang et al., 2016). More surgical experiments are needed to clarify how different subcellular actin networks contribute to polarity generation under different environmental conditions. Figure 1. WAVE complex is required for neutrophil polarity and motility.A) Polarity generation depends on fast-acting, short-range positive feedback and slower-acting, long-range negative feedback. Actin assembly participates in both types of feedback, with its role in negat...

BackgroundThe rapid adoption of CRISPR technology has enabled biomedical researchers to conduct CRISPR-based genetic screens in a pooled format. The quality of results from such screens is heavily dependent on the selection of optimal screen design parameters, which also affects cost and scalability. However, the cost and effort of implementing pooled screens prohibits experimental testing of a large number of parameters.ResultsWe present CRISPulator, a Monte Carlo method-based computational tool that simulates the impact of screen parameters on the robustness of screen results, thereby enabling users to build intuition and insights that will inform their experimental strategy.CRISPulator enables the simulation of screens relying on either CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) or CRISPR nuclease (CRISPRn). Pooled screens based on cell growth/survival, as well as fluorescence-activated cell sorting according to fluorescent reporter phenotypes are supported. CRISPulator is freely available online (http://crispulator.ucsf.edu).ConclusionsCRISPulator facilitates the design of pooled genetic screens by enabling the exploration of a large space of experimental parameters in silico, rather than through costly experimental trial and error. We illustrate its power by deriving non-obvious rules for optimal screen design.

Although the primary protein sequence of ubiquitin (Ub) is extremely stable over evolutionary time, it is highly tolerant to mutation during selection experiments performed in the laboratory. We have proposed that this discrepancy results from the difference between fitness under laboratory culture conditions and the selective pressures in changing environments over evolutionary timescales. Building on our previous work (Mavor et al., 2016), we used deep mutational scanning to determine how twelve new chemicals (3-Amino-1,2,4-triazole, 5-fluorocytosine, Amphotericin B, CaCl2, Cerulenin, Cobalt Acetate, Menadione, Nickel Chloride, p-Fluorophenylalanine, Rapamycin, Tamoxifen, and Tunicamycin) reveal novel mutational sensitivities of ubiquitin residues. Collectively, our experiments have identified eight new sensitizing conditions for Lys63 and uncovered a sensitizing condition for every position in Ub except Ser57 and Gln62. By determining the ubiquitin fitness landscape under different chemical constraints, our work helps to resolve the inconsistencies between deep mutational scanning experiments and sequence conservation over evolutionary timescales.