Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026
08:49
Engineering Three-dimensional Epithelial Tissues Embedded within Extracellular Matrix
Published on: July 10, 2016
Modeling and inferring cleavage patterns in proliferating epithelia
Ankit B Patel1, William T Gibson, Matthew C Gibson
1School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Plos Computational Biology
|June 13, 2009
Summary
Cell division orientation is key to epithelial morphogenesis. Our model reveals how cleavage patterns create cell shape signatures, allowing inference of division rules and explaining conserved cell shapes across species.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Epithelial morphogenesis relies on precise cleavage plane orientation during cell division.
- Understanding the link between local cell division patterns and tissue-level properties is crucial but remains incomplete.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a computational model simulating 2D proliferating epithelia to explore cleavage plane dynamics.
- To investigate how local cleavage parameters influence global cell shape distributions.
- To infer division rules from observed cell shape distributions in diverse organisms.
Main Methods:
- Developed a topological model for simulating 2D epithelial cell division dynamics across generations.
- Incorporated spatial neighbor impact and temporal maternal influence on cleavage plane selection.
- Analyzed equilibrium distributions of polygonal cell shapes generated by various cleavage patterns.
Main Results:
- Cleavage patterns produce distinct "signature" cell shape distributions.
- These signatures allow inference of local division parameters (neighbor impact, maternal influence, division symmetry).
- Strong division symmetry with moderate neighbor/maternal influence explains conserved hexagonal cell shapes in five diverse organisms.
Conclusions:
- Cell shape distribution in proliferating epithelia is highly conserved across species.
- Multiple distinct cleavage patterns can generate this conserved distribution.
- Plants and fruitflies may employ different division mechanisms despite similar resulting cell shapes.
Related Concept Videos
01:33Cleavage and Blastulation
After a large-single-celled zygote is produced via fertilization, the process of cleavage occurs while zygotes travel through the uterine tube. Cleavage is a mitotic cell division that does not result in growth. With each round of successive cell division, daughter cells get increasingly smaller.
02:13Determining the Plane of Cell Division
Positioning the cell division plane is a critical step during development and cell differentiation, particularly during mitosis when the plane is essential for determining the size of the two daughter cells. The cell division plane is perpendicular to the plane of chromosome segregation, but different types of organisms have different cell division mechanisms to suit their morphology and function.
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...
02:13Determining the Plane of Cell Division
Positioning the cell division plane is a critical step during development and cell differentiation, particularly during mitosis when the plane is essential for determining the size of the two daughter cells. The cell division plane is perpendicular to the plane of chromosome segregation, but different types of organisms have different cell division mechanisms to suit their morphology and function.
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...
01:16Cell Motility through Blebbing
Blebs are a type of membrane protrusion formed by the internal hydrostatic pressure of the cytoplasm. Blebs are observed in several cell types, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and single-celled organisms like the amoeba. The primary function of blebs is cell locomotion and apoptosis, but they are also found during necrosis and cell division. The life cycle of a bleb comprises an initiation phase followed by the expansion and retraction phases.
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
01:29Classification of Epithelial Tissues: Stratified Epithelium
Stratified epithelium consists of several stacked layers of cells. They provide the durability to withstand constant physical and chemical attacks. Stratified epithelium is named after the shape of the most apical layer of cells. Stratified squamous epithelium is the most common type found in the human body. In this tissue, the apical cells are squamous, whereas the basal layer contains either columnar or cuboidal cells. The basal cells divide to form new daughter cells, which gradually become...
02:36Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation
Cell size is a significant factor impacting cellular design, function, and fitness. There exists some internal coordination by which cells double their masses before division, thus, achieving homeostasis. Coordination between cell growth and proliferation depends on the checkpoints in between cell cycle phases. Loss of coordination or failure in the checkpoint mechanism can drive the cell to uncontrolled growth and loss of cellular function. Like dividing cells that coordinate cellular growth,...