Embryonic integrin signaling establishes a program of differential cell elongation in a growing proprioceptive organ

Embryonic PS2βPS integrin signaling, via Talin and the ILK-PINCH-Parvin complex, restricts ligament cell elongation in the ChO, reversing growth when disrupted.

• Why it matters: The ChO remodels during larval growth, with cap cells elongating while ligament cells stay short; how these contrasting behaviors are coordinated is unclear.
• What they did: Targeted RNAi screens of ECM components, ECM receptors, and intracellular effectors identified basement membrane collagens/laminins for cap straightness and Thrombospondin/Tiggrin for attachment stability, plus an integrin module controlling relative cell lengths.
• The result: Ligament-specific knockdown makes ligament cells elongate dramatically at the expense of cap extension, and temporal control shows the short ligament morphology is set during an embryonic critical window and is not rescued by restoring integrin after hatching.

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