Stability and Roughness of Interfaces in Mechanically Regulated Tissues

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Developmental Biology
• Cell Mechanics

Background:

• Cell division and death are influenced by mechanical forces within tissues.
• Tissue growth and interface dynamics are crucial in developmental processes.
• Understanding mechanical regulation is key to tissue stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the consequences of mechanically regulated tissue growth on interface stability and roughness.
• To investigate the mechanisms driving instabilities in propagating tissue interfaces.
• To explore how mechanical feedback affects tissue-scale reproducibility.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of a mathematical model for mechanically regulated tissue growth.
• Investigation in the regime of small driving forces.
• Examination of instabilities arising from pressure imbalance, cell motility, and substrate friction.

Main Results:

• Long and intermediate-wavelength instabilities were identified, dependent on effective viscosity and substrate friction.
• Directed motility forces in the bulk introduce another instability mechanism.
• Mechanical feedback was shown to preserve reproducibility at the tissue scale despite cell-level stochasticity.

Conclusions:

• Mechanical forces play a significant role in regulating tissue growth and interface dynamics.
• Specific mechanisms related to viscosity, friction, and motility govern interface instabilities.
• Mechanical feedback is essential for maintaining order and reproducibility in developing tissues.