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Collective epithelial migration mediated by the unbinding of hexatic defects
Dimitrios Krommydas1, Livio N Carenza1,2, Luca Giomi1
1Instituut-Lorentz, Universiteit Leiden, Leiden, Netherlands.
Elife
|May 5, 2026
Summary
Epithelial cell intercalation, crucial for collective cell migration, involves cell rearrangements driven by network geometry and contractile forces. This study reveals these events are initiated by topological defect unbinding and governed by active self-propulsion.
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Biophysics
- Theoretical physics
Background:
- Collective cell migration is essential for development and tissue repair.
- Epithelial cell intercalation, a key process, involves neighboring cells swapping positions.
- This rearrangement is driven by cellular activity, network geometry, and contractile forces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To formulate a continuum theory for the mechanism of epithelial cell intercalation.
- To understand the role of topological defects and active forces in cell rearrangements.
- To explain the observed extensile activity in in vitro epithelial layers.
Main Methods:
- Formulation of a continuum theory based on hexatic structure of epithelial layers.
- Application of active hydrodynamics principles.
- Conducting cell-resolved numerical simulations.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that cell intercalation occurs via the unbinding of topological defects.
- Showed that defect unbinding is initiated by fluctuations.
- Revealed that late-time dynamics are governed by passive attraction and active self-propulsion.
Conclusions:
- The study provides insights into the forces driving collective cell migration in epithelia.
- Offers an explanation for the extensile activity observed in epithelial layers.
- Highlights the interplay between passive forces and active self-propulsion in cell rearrangements.
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