In vivo DNA damage protection during cell migration across confining embryonic tissue environments.

LaminB2 depletion in zebrafish neural crest cells accelerates nuclear recovery during confinement without increasing DNA damage, indicating a protective role in nuclear deformability.

• Why it matters: Understanding how migrating cells withstand mechanical stress in vivo is crucial for insights into development and disease processes involving cell migration through confined tissues. The mechanisms that enable cells to resist DNA damage under such conditions remain unclear.
• What they did: The study used the zebrafish neural crest as a model, examining tissue confinement, nuclear deformation, and DNA damage, alongside genetic and mechanical tissue disruptions, LaminB2 perturbation, and RNA sequencing of confined cells.
• The result: Findings show confinement reduces LaminB2 at the nuclear envelope, and its depletion speeds up nuclear recovery, while sustained LaminB2 expression causes persistent nuclear distortion, with confined cells upregulating DNA repair pathways, suggesting intrinsic resistance to mechanical stress.