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Mapping cell cortex rheology to tissue rheology and vice versa
Étienne Moisdon1, Pierre Seez1, François Molino2
1Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057, CNRS and Université Paris Cité, 75205 Paris cedex 13, France.
Physical Review. E
|October 21, 2022
Summary
This study links cell cortex rheology to tissue rheology using a 3D hexagonal cell model. It reveals how cortex mechanics influence tissue behavior and predicts fractional viscoelasticity in cell monolayers.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Cell Mechanics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Biological tissue mechanics are primarily governed by cell cortex rheology.
- A direct quantitative link between cell cortex rheology and tissue rheology is currently lacking.
- Understanding this link is crucial for predicting how changes in cortical mechanics affect tissue behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a quantitative relationship between cell cortex rheology and monolayer tissue rheology.
- To investigate the impact of cortical mechanics on tissue mechanical properties.
- To explore the predictive power of cell cortex rheology for tissue-level behavior.
Main Methods:
- Development of a theoretical model using an ordered geometry of 3D hexagonal, incompressible cells.
- Establishing a mapping between cortical rheology and monolayer tissue rheology.
- Analysis of low-frequency elastic modulus and high-frequency viscoelastic behavior.
Main Results:
- The tissue's low-frequency elastic modulus is directly proportional to the cortex's rest tension.
- A fractional visco-contractile cortex rheology predicts a high-frequency fractional visco-elastic monolayer rheology.
- The model's predictions align with recent experimental observations of fractional behavior at different scales.
- The mapping can be inverted in specific cases to infer cortex rheology from tissue rheology.
- A 2D hexagonal tiling model failed, suggesting limitations of 2D approaches for realistic monolayer rheologies.
Conclusions:
- A direct, quantitative link between cell cortex rheology and monolayer tissue rheology has been established using a 3D hexagonal cell model.
- The study predicts fractional viscoelastic behavior in cell monolayers based on cortex properties.
- The findings highlight the importance of 3D geometry and suggest limitations of 2D models in accurately capturing monolayer rheology.
- Quantitative predictions are provided for experimental validation, potentially advancing the study of cell mechanics and tissue engineering.
