Laser ablation of the cell cortex causes the local relaxation of the cortical tension/contractility. (A and B) Two examples of the response of the cortical actomyosin network to laser ablation, monitored by imaging myosin II-GFP. The anterior tip (green arrow, the left panel) was ablated by the illumination with a UV laser. The kymograph of the myosin II distribution along the yellow line is presented on the right. The cortical relaxation was detected immediately after the laser ablation (indicated with white lines) and was followed by hyper-accumulation of myosin II (10–20 s after the ablation), presumably as a process of wound healing.