How growth-induced stresses guide shape changes during animal morphogenesis: Mechanisms and implications

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Mechanobiology
• Solid Mechanics

Background:

• Morphogenesis, the development of organismal shape, involves genetic, biochemical, and mechanical factors.
• Myosin-driven contractility is recognized as a key driver of tissue shaping.
• Emerging evidence highlights differential growth as equally vital for morphogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce principles of growth mechanics in animal tissues.
• To demonstrate how differential growth generates mechanical stresses for organ shaping.
• To integrate theoretical modeling and experimental data for understanding growth-induced stresses.

Main Methods:

• Review of growth mechanics principles.
• Analysis of differential growth in tissue shaping processes (folding, bending, buckling).
• Integration of theoretical modeling with experimental data.

Main Results:

• Differential growth generates mechanical stresses driving cellular and tissue deformations.
• External constraints from tissue layers or extracellular matrices influence shaping.
• Feedback loops between growth-induced stresses and cellular responses guide functional shapes.

Conclusions:

• Differential growth is a fundamental mechanism in morphogenesis, generating stress to shape organs.
• Understanding growth mechanics, especially differential growth, complements the focus on contractility.
• Integrating mechanics and experimental biology deepens insights into how mechanical forces guide shape development.