{
  "abstract": "Cellular rotation is an understudied mechanism that regulates animal morphogenesis. In C. elegans, the dorsal-ventral axis is established when the two-cell-stage AB cell rotates within the eggshell as it divides, generating the diamond-shaped blastomere arrangement at the four-cell stage that enables distinct cell fate specification. Multiple mechanisms, including actomyosin-dependent oriented division, chiral cortical flow, and eggshell shape, have been proposed to regulate this arrangement, but whether these represent conflicting hypotheses or co-acting mechanisms remains unclear. Here, we show that CUL-3-actomyosin-dependent oriented division, eggshell geometry, and the Ras-MAPK signaling pathway regulate distinct steps of cellular rotation. AB cell rotation occurred in two distinct phases: Phase I during AB cytokinesis and Phase II during cytokinesis of the neighboring P1 cell. Quantitative analysis revealed that CUL-3-actomyosin-dependent oriented division is the only one of these three pathways that regulates the AB division axis before anaphase. Actomyosin-dependent oriented division and eggshell geometry were both required for Phase I rotation, whereas Phase II rotation was independent of eggshell geometry. We further identified the Ras-MAPK signaling pathway as a regulator of AB cell rotation that acts independently of eggshell geometry. Strikingly, the CUL-3-actomyosin-dependent pathway may have two distinct roles: first, specifying the AB division axis, and second, correcting the division axis in all cell types during cytokinesis. Together, these functions contribute significantly to cellular rotation and dorsal-ventral axis establishment.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "The University of British Columbia"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 11,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "M. Khor"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. Lai"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. L. Gough"
    },
    {
      "name": "Y. R. Xiong"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. Hiroyasu"
    },
    {
      "name": "T. Li"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. R. Hsu"
    },
    {
      "name": "V. Juciute"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Kim"
    },
    {
      "name": "K. Dofher"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "K. Sugioka"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4fft7jcvcwh44.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.06.28.735104",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.28.735104v2.full",
  "id": "4fft7jcvcwh44",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.28.735104v2",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "cell biology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7166508019",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.28.735104v2.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-06-28",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4fft7jcvcwh44.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:28:29Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.06.28.735104",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.28.735104v2"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:cell biology",
      "subfield": "cell-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Combinatorial regulation of cellular rotation by CUL-3-actomyosin-dependent oriented division, eggshell geometry, and Ras-MAPK signaling during dorsal-ventral axis establishment in Caenorhabditis elegans",
  "title_text": "Combinatorial regulation of cellular rotation by CUL-3-actomyosin-dependent oriented division, eggshell geometry, and Ras-MAPK signaling during dorsal-ventral axis establishment in Caenorhabditis elegans",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:28:29Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4fft7jcvcwh44",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}