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Epithelial colonies in vitro elongate through collective effects
Jordi Comelles1,2,3,4, Soumya Ss5, Linjie Lu1,2,3,4
1Laboratory of Cell Physics ISIS/IGBMC, CNRS and Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
Elife
|January 4, 2021
Summary
Epithelial tissue elongation in vitro is driven by cell elongation or neighbor exchange. External forces can redirect this process, revealing insights into tissue self-organization and collective cell behavior.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Epithelial tissue elongation is crucial for embryonic development.
- Mechanisms include cell elongation, neighbor exchange, and oriented cell division.
- Distinguishing intrinsic from directed tissue behavior is challenging due to external influences.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate spontaneous elongation in spreading circular epithelial colonies in vitro.
- Quantify mesoscopic processes underlying tissue elongation.
- Understand how external cues modify elongation mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- In vitro culture of epithelial colonies.
- Quantification of deformation kinematics at multiple scales.
- Application of external time-periodic stretch.
- Vertex model simulation for collective cell behavior.
Main Results:
- Global elongation is primarily driven by individual cell elongations in spontaneous colonies.
- Elongation direction correlates with average cell elongation anisotropy.
- External stretch modifies symmetry breaking, favoring neighbor exchange for elongation.
- Vertex model confirms observed behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Epithelial tissue elongation can be driven by distinct mechanisms (cell elongation vs. neighbor exchange).
- External mechanical cues can reprogram the dominant elongation mechanism.
- Provides a framework for understanding autonomous tissue elongation and its origins.
