Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions01:26

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

2.6K
The adherens junctions that anchor cells together are multi-protein complexes that dynamically adapt to mechanical stimuli such as tensile forces and shear stress. Mechanosensory proteins in these junctions can sense such mechanical stimuli and undergo a shift in their conformation, resulting in an altered function — a process called mechanotransduction.
α-Catenin as a Mechanosensory Protein
The α-catenin of adherens junctions is an allosteric protein with three VH (vinculin...
2.6K
Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces01:13

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces

2.6K
In animal cells, the extracellular matrix allows cells within tissues to withstand external stresses and transmits signals from the outside of the cell to the inside. The extracellular matrix is extensive, and its composition varies between different types of tissues. For example, the reticular fibers and ground substance make up the ECM in loose connective tissue, while collagen and bone minerals make up the ECM of bone tissue. 
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...
2.6K
Cell Migration01:19

Cell Migration

4.9K
Cell migration is a process by which the cells move from one location to another, playing an essential role in embryological development, repair and regeneration, immune response, and metastasis. Cells migrate in response to chemical or mechanical signals generated by specific organs or tissues. The overall mechanism includes three steps - polarization, protrusion, and release. Polarization involves the formation of a distinct cell front and rear, which determines the direction of movement.
4.9K
Cell Motility through Blebbing01:16

Cell Motility through Blebbing

1.9K
Blebs are a type of membrane protrusion formed by the internal hydrostatic pressure of the cytoplasm. Blebs are observed in several cell types, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and single-celled organisms like the amoeba. The primary function of blebs is cell locomotion and apoptosis, but they are also found during necrosis and cell division. The life cycle of a bleb comprises an initiation phase followed by the expansion and retraction phases.
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
1.9K
Anchoring Junctions01:03

Anchoring Junctions

3.8K
Anchoring junctions are multiprotein complexes that help cells connect to other cells and the extracellular matrix. Anchoring junctions are present on the lateral and basal surfaces of cells, providing strong and flexible connections. Focal adhesions are often formed due to cell interactions with the ECM substrata, which initiate signal transduction via kinase cascades and other mechanisms. Together, they provide stability and tissue integrity. There are three types of anchoring junctions:...
3.8K
Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation01:31

Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

2.6K
Cells migrating in response to external stimuli form lamellipodia, which are thin membrane protrusions supported by a mesh of linked, branched, or unbranched actin filaments. These actin filaments interact with myosin motor proteins, creating the dynamic actomyosin complex within the cytoskeleton. Contractility, or the ability to generate contractile stress, is inherent to the actomyosin complex. It helps cells detect the stiffness of the surrounding ECM and exert contractile force for...
2.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Keratins coordinate tissue spreading by balancing spreading forces with tissue material properties.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Observing the mechanism of delayed collapse in colloidal gels: Yielding while becoming stronger.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Dynamics of Wound Closure in Living Nematic Epithelia.

Physical review letters·2026
Same author

Cyclically sheared colloidal gels: structural change and delayed failure time.

Soft matter·2025
Same author

Slipping and fluidisation in active crystalline rotors.

Soft matter·2025
Same author

Long-range order in two-dimensional systems with fluctuating active stresses.

Soft matter·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2025

Reconstituting Cytoarchitecture and Function of Human Epithelial Tissues on an Open-Top Organ-Chip
09:46

Reconstituting Cytoarchitecture and Function of Human Epithelial Tissues on an Open-Top Organ-Chip

Published on: February 17, 2023

1.8K

Mechanochemical Active Feedback Generates Convergence Extension in Epithelial Tissue.

Aondoyima Ioratim-Uba1, Tanniemola B Liverpool1, Silke Henkes1,2

  • 1School of Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UG, United Kingdom.

Physical Review Letters
|December 22, 2023
PubMed
Summary

This study introduces a minimal continuum model demonstrating spontaneous convergence extension, a key embryonic development process. The model reveals how tissue elongation and narrowing are controlled by material properties and substrate interactions.

More Related Videos

Gradient Strain Chip for Stimulating Cellular Behaviors in Cell-laden Hydrogel
13:28

Gradient Strain Chip for Stimulating Cellular Behaviors in Cell-laden Hydrogel

Published on: August 8, 2017

8.0K
3D Analysis of Multi-cellular Responses to Chemoattractant Gradients
05:57

3D Analysis of Multi-cellular Responses to Chemoattractant Gradients

Published on: May 24, 2019

6.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 7, 2025

Reconstituting Cytoarchitecture and Function of Human Epithelial Tissues on an Open-Top Organ-Chip
09:46

Reconstituting Cytoarchitecture and Function of Human Epithelial Tissues on an Open-Top Organ-Chip

Published on: February 17, 2023

1.8K
Gradient Strain Chip for Stimulating Cellular Behaviors in Cell-laden Hydrogel
13:28

Gradient Strain Chip for Stimulating Cellular Behaviors in Cell-laden Hydrogel

Published on: August 8, 2017

8.0K
3D Analysis of Multi-cellular Responses to Chemoattractant Gradients
05:57

3D Analysis of Multi-cellular Responses to Chemoattractant Gradients

Published on: May 24, 2019

6.6K

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Developmental Biology
  • Mechanobiology

Background:

  • Convergence extension is a fundamental morphogenetic process essential for embryonic development across diverse species.
  • This process involves simultaneous tissue elongation along one axis and narrowing along a perpendicular axis.
  • Understanding the biophysical mechanisms controlling convergence extension is crucial for developmental biology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present a minimal continuum model that explains spontaneous convergence extension.
  • To link the macroscopic behavior of convergence extension to underlying microscopic biochemical control.
  • To investigate the emergence of robust convergence extension and associated phenomena like oscillations and spatial patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a 2D viscoelastic active material model.
  • Incorporation of a mechanochemical active feedback mechanism.
  • Coupling the active material to a substrate via friction.

Main Results:

  • Robust convergence extension behavior emerges above a critical activity parameter value.
  • The model demonstrates that boundary conditions and substrate coupling significantly control convergence extension.
  • Oscillations and spatial patterns arise when internal dissipation exceeds friction or in the active elastic limit.

Conclusions:

  • The minimal continuum model successfully captures spontaneous convergence extension.
  • The model provides insights into the mechanochemical regulation of tissue morphogenesis.
  • Emergent phenomena like oscillations and spatial patterns highlight the complex dynamics of active materials in development.