Abstract

In developing pseudostratified epithelia, nuclei move repeatedly between the apical and basal surfaces of cells. This process is termed interkinetic nuclear migration (IKNM) and has been studied extensively in the brain, retina and spinal cord of multiple organisms. But despite these efforts many questions about the precise mechanism of IKNM remain. Based on in vivo light sheet microscopy we previously developed a quantitative model for the phenomenological properties of IKNM on the tissue level. In this talk, we now examine the properties of IKNM on the level of individual cells. First, we investigate the random walk behaviour of individual nuclei within the tightly packed tissue environment to make estimates of the forces involved in this process. Secondly, we aim to understand the role of the interaction between nucleus and cell membrane. This not only appears to influence IKNM but possibly even has implications for the overall cell architecture.