A mechanochemical model recapitulates distinct vertebrate gastrulation modes

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Biophysics
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Vertebrate gastrulation involves complex cell movements to form a multilayered embryo.
• Actomyosin cables in chick embryos coordinate tissue flows during gastrulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a theoretical framework coupling actomyosin activity to global tissue flows.
• To model and predict gastrulation flows and morphologies in chick embryos.

Main Methods:

• Derivation of a minimal theoretical framework.
• Simulation of normal and experimentally perturbed chick embryos.
• Analysis of active stress instability and cell ingression parameters.

Main Results:

• The model predicts the onset and development of gastrulation flows.
• It successfully mimics different gastrulation modes as active stress instabilities.
• Model recapitulates distinct vertebrate gastrulation morphologies.

Conclusions:

• Actomyosin activity is a key driver of coordinated tissue flows during gastrulation.
• Variations in cell behaviors and force-generating mechanisms lead to diverse gastrulation modes.
• Gastrulation is a self-organizing mechanochemical process influenced by cell behaviors.