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Automorphy as a self-organizing DPP-dependent process that translates patterns into mechanical programs during
Baptiste Tesson1, Stéphane A Vincent2
1Polarity, Division and Morphogenesis, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, France.
Science Advances
|June 27, 2025
Summary
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) use automorphy, a self-organization process, to guide tissue development in Drosophila embryos. This mechanism ensures accurate pattern formation and tissue plasticity during morphogenesis.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Biophysics
- Genetics
Background:
- Morphogens provide positional cues for tissue development.
- Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) establish dorsal patterning in Drosophila embryos via gradients.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the role of decapentaplegic (DPP), a BMP homolog, in organizing morphogenesis.
- Elucidate the mechanism by which DPP directs tissue self-organization and mechanical adaptation.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of DPP activity in Drosophila dorsal domains.
- Observation of tissue self-organization and mechanical properties.
- Perturbation of cellular patterns to assess plasticity.
Main Results:
- DPP induces automorphy, a process of local self-organization driven by high DPP activity.
- Automorphy translates positional information into mechanical programs, creating a contractile amnioserosa and a plastic dorsal epidermis.
- Cellular plasticity enables adaptation to mechanical constraints during development.
Conclusions:
- DPP utilizes automorphy alongside gradient formation to function as a morphogen.
- Automorphy is crucial for translating positional information into specific morphological outcomes and tissue adaptability.
