A role for PaxB in regulating blebbing: experimental insights and theoretical perspectives from Dictyostelium discoideum

A role for PaxB in regulating blebbing: experimental insights and theoretical perspectives from Dictyostelium discoideum | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article A role for PaxB in regulating blebbing: experimental insights and theoretical perspectives from Dictyostelium discoideum Zully Santiago, Brian Wey, Sobana Handi Dinuka Sewwandi de Silva, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8554870/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 01 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in BMC Molecular and Cell Biology → Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Eukaryotic cells migrate using pressure-driven blebs or actin polymerization driven pseudopods, with cells preferring to bleb in compressed environments where high protrusion forces are required for movement. In mammals, paxillin is a focal adhesion protein that acts as a scaffold, linking integrins to the actin cytoskeleton and recruiting signaling molecules that regulate adhesion, cytoskeletal remodeling, and migration. Dictyostelium possesses a paxillin ortholog, PaxB, which shares conserved domains with mammalian paxillin and participates in processes such as adhesion, cytokinesis, development,and chemotaxis. However, the role of PaxB in blebbing is not well understood. Our work combines experimental and theoretical methods to elucidate the role of PaxB in blebbing. We use an under-agarose assay to collect data on paxB \((^{-})\) and wild-type cells under low and high compression and observe blebbing characteristics such as area and frequency. Our results point to a role for PaxB in regulating the relative size of blebs in response to increased compression through modulating the quality of the newly reformed cortex. Using a mathematical model, we show that decreasing the assembly rate of the cortex during bleb formation leads to relatively larger blebs, thus supporting our experimental findings. Together, our experiments and theory suggest a new role of PaxB in bleb-based chemotaxis. PaxB Dictyostelium Chemotaxis Blebbing Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files PaxillinPapersupplementaryinfo.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 01 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in BMC Molecular and Cell Biology → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 09 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 06 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 04 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 25 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 19 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 17 Jan, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 14 Jan, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 14 Jan, 2026 Editor invited by journal 14 Jan, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 13 Jan, 2026 First submitted to journal 13 Jan, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8554870","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":576105995,"identity":"d0c78486-bb30-47c7-85dd-b4333e5377fa","order_by":0,"name":"Zully Santiago","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Baruch College","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zully","middleName":"","lastName":"Santiago","suffix":""},{"id":576105997,"identity":"9476a7f2-d1c6-4edc-8a1c-139d7913558b","order_by":1,"name":"Brian Wey","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Baruch 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discoideum","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-molecular-and-cell-biology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"cebi","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Molecular and Cell Biology](https://bmcmolcellbiol.biomedcentral.com)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/cebi/default.aspx","title":"BMC Molecular and Cell Biology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"PaxB, Dictyostelium, Chemotaxis, Blebbing","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8554870/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8554870/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eEukaryotic cells migrate using pressure-driven blebs or actin polymerization driven pseudopods, with cells preferring to bleb in compressed environments where high protrusion forces are required for movement. In mammals, paxillin is a focal adhesion protein that acts as a scaffold, linking integrins to the actin cytoskeleton and recruiting signaling molecules that regulate adhesion, cytoskeletal remodeling, and migration. \u003cem\u003eDictyostelium\u003c/em\u003e possesses a paxillin ortholog, PaxB, which shares conserved domains with mammalian paxillin and participates in processes such as adhesion, cytokinesis, development,and chemotaxis. However, the role of PaxB in blebbing is not well understood. Our work combines experimental and theoretical methods to elucidate the role of PaxB in blebbing. We use an under-agarose assay to collect data on \u003cem\u003epaxB\u003c/em\u003e\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\((^{-})\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e and wild-type cells under low and high compression and observe blebbing characteristics such as area and frequency. Our results point to a role for PaxB in regulating the relative size of blebs in response to increased compression through modulating the quality of the newly reformed cortex. Using a mathematical model, we show that decreasing the assembly rate of the cortex during bleb formation leads to relatively larger blebs, thus supporting our experimental findings. Together, our experiments and theory suggest a new role of PaxB in bleb-based chemotaxis.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"A role for PaxB in regulating blebbing: experimental insights and theoretical perspectives from Dictyostelium discoideum","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-01-19 04:20:41","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8554870/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-02-09T08:27:26+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-06T16:44:22+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"149738654052940648468172962666422145349","date":"2026-02-04T09:57:26+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-01-26T02:16:07+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"162247915525558245579950334599803425645","date":"2026-01-20T02:28:17+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"194596199715283011500174213276049880460","date":"2026-01-17T16:13:35+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-01-14T14:36:20+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-01-14T13:48:47+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-01-14T13:22:18+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-01-13T16:59:27+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Molecular and Cell Biology","date":"2026-01-13T16:56:52+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-molecular-and-cell-biology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"cebi","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Molecular and Cell Biology](https://bmcmolcellbiol.biomedcentral.com)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/cebi/default.aspx","title":"BMC Molecular and Cell Biology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"d4f4e340-aa8f-4bde-8b41-29b3275d0d91","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 19th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-07T16:08:51+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-8554870","link":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12860-026-00584-w","journal":{"identity":"bmc-molecular-and-cell-biology","isVorOnly":false,"title":"BMC Molecular and Cell Biology"},"publishedOn":"2026-04-01 16:00:09","publishedOnDateReadable":"April 1st, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2026-01-19 04:20:41","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1186/s12860-026-00584-w","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12860-026-00584-w","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8554870","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8554870","identity":"rs-8554870","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}