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dc.contributor.advisorAdam C. Martin.en_US
dc.contributor.authorCoravos, Jonathan S. (Jonathan Stuck)en_US
dc.contributor.otherMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biology.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2017-09-15T14:20:21Z
dc.date.available2017-09-15T14:20:21Z
dc.date.copyright2017en_US
dc.date.issued2017en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/111230
dc.descriptionThesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biology, 2017.en_US
dc.descriptionThis electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.en_US
dc.descriptionCataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.en_US
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (pages 120-139).en_US
dc.description.abstractActin and myosin generate contractile forces to change tissue and cell shape. These shape changes are essential for many biological functions, ranging from muscle contraction to tissue morphogenesis in development. While the spatial organization and composition of the actin and myosin contractile force generating machine is well known in muscle, it is less understood in nonmuscle epithelia, which change shape during development and form functional barriers on an organism's inner surfaces. Prevailing models for nonmuscle contractility suggest that the intrinsic ability of mixed polarity actin networks and uniformly distributed myosin to contract into asters drives nonmuscle contractility. Here, I provide insight into the mechanism of nonmuscle contraction by demonstrating that the apical actin cortex and associated proteins are spatially organized in epithelia. In addition, I demonstrate that this spatial organization forms a sarcomere-like actomyosin apparatus, which is essential for epithelial contractility. This updated model is likely to inform our understanding of a wide range of contractile force-generating systems, and may lead to advances in understanding of pathologies that involve defects in contractility, like cardiovascular disease and pulmonary fibrosis.en_US
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityby Jonathan S. Coravos.en_US
dc.format.extent139 pagesen_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherMassachusetts Institute of Technologyen_US
dc.rightsMIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.en_US
dc.rights.urihttp://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582en_US
dc.subjectBiology.en_US
dc.titleMolecular organization of the actin cortex in apical constriction and epithelial foldingen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.description.degreePh. D.en_US
dc.contributor.departmentMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biology
dc.identifier.oclc1003284121en_US


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