Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
11:27
Methods to Study Epithelial Transport Protein Function and Expression in Native Intestine and Caco-2 Cells Grown in 3D
Published on: March 16, 2017
Morphogen transport in epithelia
T Bollenbach1, K Kruse, P Pantazis
1Max-Planck-Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Nöthnitzer Strasse 38, 01187 Dresden, Germany.
Summary
This study introduces a theoretical framework for morphogen transport and gradient formation, explaining how cellular trafficking, like transcytosis, drives larger-scale patterns. Results offer insights into robust gradient formation in developmental biology.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Theoretical Biology
Background:
- Morphogen gradients are crucial for embryonic development, guiding cell fate decisions.
- Understanding the mechanisms of morphogen transport and gradient formation is essential for developmental biology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a general theoretical framework for morphogen transport and gradient formation in cell layers.
- To derive effective nonlinear transport equations from cellular-scale descriptions.
- To analyze the concentration dependence of effective diffusion and degradation rates.
Main Methods:
- Developed a theoretical framework based on cellular-scale trafficking events.
- Derived effective nonlinear transport equations in 1D and 2D.
- Analyzed transcytosis as a key transport mechanism.
- Investigated effects of directional bias and receptor kinetics.
Main Results:
- Derived analytic expressions for effective diffusion coefficient and degradation rate, dependent on morphogen concentration.
- Demonstrated how cellular transport mechanisms lead to large-scale morphogen patterns.
- Showcased the robustness of gradient formation through cellular transport processes.
Conclusions:
- The theoretical framework provides a basis for understanding morphogen gradient formation.
- Cellular transcytosis is a significant mechanism for morphogen transport.
- Results are applicable to understanding developmental processes, such as Decapentaplegic (Dpp) function in Drosophila wing development.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Transcellular Transport of Solutes
Transcellular transport of solutes is the movement of substances like monosaccharides and amino acids through polarized cells. This transport mechanism is primarily seen in epithelial and endothelial cells aided by membrane transport proteins such as channels and transporters. The tight junctions between these cells confine the membrane proteins to the two sides of the cell. The epithelial cells have distinct apical and basolateral domains. In contrast, the endothelial cells show the luminal...
01:06Carrier-Mediated Transport
Carrier-mediated transport is a pivotal process in drug absorption, particularly for lipid-insoluble drugs, and encompasses facilitated diffusion and active transport. Facilitated diffusion allows drugs to move along their concentration gradient without energy expenditure, while active transport utilizes ATP to drive drug movement against this gradient.
Active transport involves two types of membrane-spanning transporters: uptake and efflux. Uptake transporters are expressed in the small...
Active transport involves two types of membrane-spanning transporters: uptake and efflux. Uptake transporters are expressed in the small...
01:24Cellular Membranes and Drug Transport
Drugs must traverse multiple biological barriers, such as multi-layered skin, single-layered intestinal epithelium, and the plasma membrane, to reach their target sites within the body. The plasma membrane, a highly structured composite of phospholipids, carbohydrates, and proteins, is the cell's protective boundary, facilitating selective substance exchange.
Phospholipids arrange themselves into a bilayer, with hydrophilic heads oriented outward and hydrophobic tails facing inward.
Phospholipids arrange themselves into a bilayer, with hydrophilic heads oriented outward and hydrophobic tails facing inward.
01:23Mechanisms of Drug Absorption: Paracellular, Transcellular, and Vesicular Transport
Drugs need to permeate cell membranes to reach their target sites after administration. Orally administered drugs must transcend intestinal epithelial membrane barriers to infiltrate the systemic circulation. Drugs with a molecular weight of less than 500 Daltons diffuse through gaps between neighboring cells, called paracellular pathways.
However, most drugs use the transcellular route, traversing directly through the cell membranes via two mechanisms: passive and active transport. Passive...
However, most drugs use the transcellular route, traversing directly through the cell membranes via two mechanisms: passive and active transport. Passive...
01:31Membrane Transporters
Transporters are essential membrane transport proteins with functions related to cell nutrition, homeostasis, communication, etc. Approximately 7% of all genes in the human genome code for transporters or transporter-related proteins.
Transporters are mainly composed of alpha-helices, built from bundles of ten or more helices traversing the plasma membrane. The solute-binding sites are located midway, where some of the helices are broken or distorted, making space for the binding site through...
Transporters are mainly composed of alpha-helices, built from bundles of ten or more helices traversing the plasma membrane. The solute-binding sites are located midway, where some of the helices are broken or distorted, making space for the binding site through...
01:44The Significance of Membrane Transport
The transport of solutes across the cell membrane is essential for metabolic processes, like maintaining cell size and volume, generating the action potential, exchanging nutrients and gases, etc. Membrane transport can be either passive or active. It can be simple diffusion, facilitated, or mediated transport aided by transport proteins such as transporters and channels.
Transporters facilitate either an active or passive movement of solutes. They can allow a single-molecule transport down its...
Transporters facilitate either an active or passive movement of solutes. They can allow a single-molecule transport down its...