Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Gastrulation01:56

Gastrulation

68.2K
Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata...
68.2K
Determination01:51

Determination

21.3K
During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In...
21.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Polarised cell intercalation during Drosophila axis extension is robust to an orthogonal pull by the invaginating mesoderm.

PLoS biology·2024
Same author

Mechanical stress combines with planar polarised patterning during metaphase to orient embryonic epithelial cell divisions.

Development (Cambridge, England)·2024
Same author

How dynamic prestress governs the shape of living systems, from the subcellular to tissue scale.

Interface focus·2022
Same author

Different temporal requirements for tartan and wingless in the formation of contractile interfaces at compartmental boundaries.

Development (Cambridge, England)·2022
Same author

Embryo-scale epithelial buckling forms a propagating furrow that initiates gastrulation.

Nature communications·2022
Same author

Adhesion-regulated junction slippage controls cell intercalation dynamics in an Apposed-Cortex Adhesion Model.

PLoS computational biology·2022

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 5, 2026

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis
06:33

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis

Published on: June 5, 2018

7.7K

Geometry can provide long-range mechanical guidance for embryogenesis.

Mahamar Dicko1,2,3,4, Pierre Saramito1,2, Guy B Blanchard5

  • 1LJK, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.

Plos Computational Biology
|March 28, 2017
PubMed
Summary

This study models Drosophila embryo morphogenesis, revealing how planar-polarized actomyosin contractility drives tissue-scale deformations. The cephalic furrow

More Related Videos

Patterning the Geometry of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Colonies on Compliant Substrates to Control Tissue-Level Mechanics
10:04

Patterning the Geometry of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Colonies on Compliant Substrates to Control Tissue-Level Mechanics

Published on: September 28, 2019

8.9K
Tracking Morphogenetic Tissue Deformations in the Early Chick Embryo
08:19

Tracking Morphogenetic Tissue Deformations in the Early Chick Embryo

Published on: October 17, 2011

13.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 5, 2026

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis
06:33

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis

Published on: June 5, 2018

7.7K
Patterning the Geometry of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Colonies on Compliant Substrates to Control Tissue-Level Mechanics
10:04

Patterning the Geometry of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Colonies on Compliant Substrates to Control Tissue-Level Mechanics

Published on: September 28, 2019

8.9K
Tracking Morphogenetic Tissue Deformations in the Early Chick Embryo
08:19

Tracking Morphogenetic Tissue Deformations in the Early Chick Embryo

Published on: October 17, 2011

13.5K

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Computational Biology

Background:

  • Embryo morphogenesis relies on actomyosin contractility for tissue shaping.
  • Planar-polarized actomyosin drives cell intercalation during Drosophila axis extension.
  • Understanding tissue-scale mechanics requires integrating cell-autonomous dynamics with whole-embryo feedback.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a novel numerical approach for computing whole-embryo dynamics of the actomyosin-rich apical epithelial surface.
  • To investigate the role of planar-polarized actomyosin contractility in driving tissue deformation during Drosophila embryonic axis extension.
  • To explore how geometric features, like the cephalic furrow, influence global mechanical balance and tissue flow.

Main Methods:

  • A numerical model simulating the apical epithelial surface dynamics.
  • Inputting specific patterns of actomyosin contractility, including planar polarization.
  • Modeling epithelia using a rheological law relating deformation rate to stress and anisotropic contractility.
  • Incorporating the embryo's 3D geometry and features like the cephalic furrow.

Main Results:

  • Predicted tissue strain rates and displacements consistent with experimental observations of Drosophila axis extension.
  • Demonstrated that anisotropic contractility of planar-polarized actomyosin directly causes tissue-scale deformations.
  • Showed that the cephalic furrow is crucial for reproducing experimental flow patterns and orienting posterior extension.

Conclusions:

  • Planar-polarized actomyosin contractility in ventrolateral regions is a key driver of Drosophila embryonic axis extension.
  • The model successfully integrates cellular contractility with tissue-scale mechanics and geometry.
  • Embryonic geometry, specifically the cephalic furrow, plays a critical role in directing morphogenetic movements.