Emergence of tissue shape changes from collective cell behaviours

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Biophysics
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Embryonic development relies on dynamic tissue shape changes driven by morphogenetic movements and cell flows.
• The execution of genetically programmed tissue shape changes is fundamentally a mechanical process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the interplay between genetics and tissue mechanics in controlling tissue shape during development.
• To understand how gene expression patterns influence cellular behaviors and mechanical properties to drive morphogenesis.

Main Methods:

• Studies in various model organisms and cultured epithelia.
• Analysis of gene expression patterns and planar cell polarity.
• Investigation of cellular force generation and anisotropic mechanical properties.

Main Results:

• Gene expression patterns establish planar cell polarity, orienting cellular force generation.
• Autonomously controlled cell dynamics generate tissue-wide stress patterns.
• Mechanical constraints, like extracellular matrix connections, influence cell behaviors.

Conclusions:

• Tissue shape emerges from a mechanical process tightly coupling genetics and mechanics.
• Cellular force generation and mechanical properties are influenced by genetic programming.
• Feedback mechanisms exist where tissue stress patterns orient cell behaviors, further shaping the tissue.