Epithelial-mesenchymal interface guides cell shapes and axis elongation in embryonic explants

Area of Science:

• Developmental biology
• Morphogenesis
• Tissue engineering

Background:

• Tissue-tissue interactions are crucial during embryonic development, particularly during gastrulation and organogenesis.
• The precise mechanisms by which these interactions guide morphogenesis are not fully understood.
• Understanding these processes is key to deciphering self-organization principles in embryonic development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of epithelial-mesenchymal tissue coupling in driving robust axis elongation.
• To elucidate how tissue interfaces direct cell shape alignment and axis orientation during morphogenesis.
• To explore the hierarchical contribution of epithelial and mesenchymal tissues to elongation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Xenopus animal cap explants to study tissue interactions.
• Analyzed cell shape alignment and elongation dynamics at the epithelial-mesenchymal interface.
• Investigated the dependency of mesenchymal tissue elongation on the presence of epithelial tissue.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that the coupling between epithelial and mesenchymal tissues is instrumental in robust axis elongation.
• Showcased a hierarchical drive of elongation, where epithelium can elongate independently, but mesenchyme requires epithelium.
• Identified the epithelial-mesenchymal interface as the determinant of cell shape alignment and elongation axis.
• Observed that epithelial cell elongation precedes and propagates into the mesenchyme.

Conclusions:

• Tissue interfaces can organize coherent axis elongation without external patterning cues.
• Revealed self-organization principles governing embryonic morphogenesis through tissue interactions.
• Highlighted the critical role of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in establishing developmental axes.