Dissertation goals
In this dissertation, I investigate how epithelial cells respond to mechanical cues and regulate their cellular mechanics.  In Chapter 2, I describe how vertebrate epithelial cells maintain the barrier function of the tissue during cytokinesis by reinforcing their cell-cell junctions in response to forces generated by the contractile ring. In Chapter 3, I explore how the scaffolding protein Anillin contributes to epithelial cell and tissue mechanics. Preliminary experiments hinted that Anillin functions in generating tension in line with cell-cell junctions via the circumferential actomyosin belt, however, upon deeper investigation I found a new role for Anillin in dramatically organizing medial-apical actomyosin which has mechanical affects at the cellular, tissue, and whole embryo level. In Chapter 4 I discuss the implications of my findings in the context of the field and propose future experiments that I would be interested in pursuing.