CFL1-dependency of discrete cell behaviours driving mouse spinal zippering.

Conditional Cfl1 deletion in mouse surface ectoderm reduces spinal zippering speed by ~30% and increases spina bifida incidence by ~30%, linked to altered actin dynamics.

• Why it matters: Spinal cord zippering requires coordinated epithelial fusion behaviors, but how F-actin turnover and CFL1-dependent dynamics shape the sequence is unclear.
• What they did: The study mapped caudal-to-rostral surface ectoderm cell behaviors in wild-type mouse embryos and tested CFL1 requirement using conditional Cfl1 deletion, assessing actin organization and zippering progression.
• The result: Loss of CFL1 enriched at the leading edge yields denser F-actin stress fibres, overly stable filopodial protrusions with reduced exploratory movement, and impaired junctional constriction, limiting zipper-advancing behaviors.

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