Cell jamming regulates epithelial chiral morphogenesis
Tasnif Rahman1, Frank Peters1, Leo Q Wan2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA.
Journal of Biomechanics
|January 15, 2023
Summary
Fluid-like tissues exhibit stronger chiral cell alignment and elongation, driven by cellular intrinsic torque. This study reveals tissue rigidity
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Developmental Biology
- Cellular Mechanics
Background:
- Internal organs display left-right asymmetry, a process linked to cellular chirality and biased cell migration.
- Cellular intrinsic torque is a proposed driver of chiral directional migration.
- The influence of tissue rigidity (jamming state) on chiral morphogenesis remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of tissue rigidity and jamming state in chiral morphogenesis.
- To model chiral cell behavior on a ring-shaped tissue using a cell vertex model.
- To simulate chirality as torsional forces acting on cell vertices.
Main Methods:
- Developed a cell vertex model to simulate chiral morphogenesis.
- Simulated torsional forces acting on cell vertices to represent cellular chirality.
- Analyzed cell alignment, elongation, and migration velocity on a patterned ring-shaped tissue.
Main Results:
- Fluid-like (unjammed) tissues showed stronger chiral cell alignment and elongation compared to solid-like (jammed) tissues.
- A greater difference in migration velocity between opposing tissue boundaries was observed in fluid-like tissues.
- Fluid-like tissues exhibited more frequent cell-neighbor exchange events.
Conclusions:
- Chiral torque is sufficient to induce biased cellular alignment in vitro.
- Tissue rigidity, independent of cell density, plays a significant role in regulating chiral morphogenesis.
- This work provides insights into the mechanical regulation of chiral tissue development.
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