Guillaume Charras

A keratin bundling transition uncages the nucleus in stretchedepithelia

The paper shows that keratin bundling in epithelial cells under stretch allows the nucleus to escape its keratin cage, providing a mechanism for tissue adaptation to mechanical stress.

Mechanical Tension Actively Triggers RhoA-Mediated Cell Extrusion

This study shows mechanical tension, not just biochemical signals, actively drives cell extrusion via RhoA-mediated contractility in epithelial monolayers.

Boundary constraints can determine pattern emergence

The paper shows that boundary constraints influence the spatial patterning of cell fates during development through a reaction-diffusion model and Wnt signaling.

Control of cellular cortical tension and shape by RhoGTPase signalling

This study quantifies how RhoGTPase signalling controls cortical tension and cell shape using optogenetics and develops a predictive model linking signal gradients to mechanical changes.

Emergent Epithelial Resilience under Cyclic Loading

This study investigates how epithelial tissues withstand cyclic mechanical stress by combining experiments and modeling, finding that cyclic loading enhances tissue resilience through bond repair intervals.

The actin cortex acts as a mechanical memory of morphology in confined migrating cells

This study shows migrating cells retain a mechanical memory of past morphological states through actin cortex remodeling, aiding navigation in confined spaces.

The cytoplasm of living cells can sustain transient and steady intracellular pressure gradients

This study shows that cells can sustain intracellular pressure gradients over minutes, revealing the role of cytoplasmic poroelasticity in mechanical responses and cell physiology.

Sustained Strain Applied at High Rates Drives Dynamic Tensioning in Epithelial Cells

This study shows epithelial cells exhibit a strain-rate dependent bimodal stress response, including dynamic tensioning resembling active pulling-back, mediated by actin remodeling.

Spatial and temporal signatures of cell competition revealed by K-function analysis

This study uses K-function analysis to quantify spatiotemporal dynamics of cell competition in MDCK co-cultures, revealing distinct mechanisms for ScrKD and RasV12 elimination.

Stress relaxation in epithelial monolayers is controlled by actomyosin

The paper shows actomyosin dynamics control stress relaxation in epithelial monolayers, enabling active changes in resting length during mechanical deformation.

Long-range Notch-mediated tissue patterning requires actomyosin contractility

The paper shows that actomyosin contractility enhances Notch-mediated signaling and patterning in fly dorsal thorax development through basal protrusions.