The changes in cell shape and migration that occur during morphogenesis require coordinated regulation of cell-cell adhesion and of the actomyosin skeleton. Diaphanous-related formins - regulators of actin nucleation and elongation - play essential roles in cytokinesis but also regulate cell adhesion, polarity and microtubules. Might they, therefore, be involved in morphogenesis? On , Homem and Peifer report that Drosophila Diaphanous(Dia) coordinates cell adhesion and actomyosin contractility during morphogenesis. They show that Dia has a dynamic pattern of expression during fly embryogenesis that is consistent with a role in regulating cell shape changes. Using constitutively active Dia, they reveal that Dia regulates myosin levels and activity at adherens junctions during cell shape change. Finally, by reducing Dia function, they show that Dia stabilizes adherens junctions and inhibits the formation of cell protrusions. The researchers conclude that, by regulating both actin and myosin, Dia organizes the actomysin network at adhesion junctions, thereby coordinating cell shape changes and cell-cell adhesion during morphogenesis.
