Tissue fluidity mediates a trade-off between the speed and accuracy of multicellular patterning by cell sorting

Area of Science:

• Cellular biology
• Biophysics
• Developmental biology

Background:

• Multicellularity relies on spatial organization of cells.
• Adhesion-based cell sorting is a key mechanism for tissue patterning.
• Cellular movement and adhesion influence tissue organization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of tissue fluidity in adhesion-based cell sorting.
• To develop a minimal tissue model integrating fluidity and sorting dynamics.
• To understand how cells regulate mechanical properties for patterning.

Main Methods:

• Developed a minimal tissue model incorporating tissue fluidity and cell sorting.
• Used computational modeling to simulate cell sorting dynamics.
• Validated the model against experimental fibroblast cell culture data.

Main Results:

• Tissue fluidity critically regulates the rate and accuracy of cell sorting.
• Altering tissue fluidity significantly impacts sorting outcomes.
• A balance between cell motility and homotypic adhesion is essential for effective sorting.
• Cells may naturally coordinate motility and adhesion to maintain optimal fluidity.

Conclusions:

• Tissue fluidity is a tightly regulated parameter essential for cell sorting.
• Cells may possess evolved mechanisms to coregulate mechanical properties for patterning.
• Maintaining a specific tissue fluidity is crucial for cellular organization and tissue development.