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Updated: May 30, 2026
08:49
Engineering Three-dimensional Epithelial Tissues Embedded within Extracellular Matrix
Published on: July 10, 2016
Cadherin-dependent cell morphology in an epithelium: constructing a quantitative dynamical model
Ian M Gemp1, Richard W Carthew, Sascha Hilgenfeldt
1Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America.
Plos Computational Biology
|August 5, 2011
Summary
Computer simulations reveal how N-cadherin protein dynamics during Drosophila retina development influence cell shape and tissue formation. This research highlights the critical timing of adhesion protein expression for proper cell-cell contact remodeling.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Drosophila retina cells achieve specific morphologies during tissue morphogenesis.
- The adhesion protein N-cadherin plays a crucial role in cell-cell interactions and tissue development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To simulate epithelial tissue development in the Drosophila retina.
- To model the role of N-cadherin in cell shape determination and tissue morphogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Computer simulations of epithelial tissue minimizing global interfacial energy.
- Incorporation of N-cadherin expression timing and cell-cell contact remodeling into the model.
Main Results:
- The simulation model accurately reproduces wild-type and mutant cell geometries.
- Distinguishes features of cadherin dynamics, including protein recycling between interfaces.
- Emphasizes the importance of N-cadherin biogenesis timing relative to cell remodeling.
Conclusions:
- Adhesion protein biogenesis and its precise timing are critical for cell remodeling during morphogenesis.
- N-cadherin recycling modulates cell-cell adhesion strengths, influencing tissue architecture.
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