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Related Concept Videos

Anchoring Junctions01:03

Anchoring Junctions

Anchoring junctions are multiprotein complexes that help cells connect to other cells and the extracellular matrix. Anchoring junctions are present on the lateral and basal surfaces of cells, providing strong and flexible connections. Focal adhesions are often formed due to cell interactions with the ECM substrata, which initiate signal transduction via kinase cascades and other mechanisms. Together, they provide stability and tissue integrity. There are three types of anchoring junctions:...
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Cell migration is a process by which the cells move from one location to another, playing an essential role in embryological development, repair and regeneration, immune response, and metastasis. Cells migrate in response to chemical or mechanical signals generated by specific organs or tissues. The overall mechanism includes three steps - polarization, protrusion, and release. Polarization involves the formation of a distinct cell front and rear, which determines the direction of movement.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Optogenetic Inhibition of Rho1-Mediated Actomyosin Contractility Coupled with Measurement of Epithelial Tension in Drosophila Embryos
12:35

Optogenetic Inhibition of Rho1-Mediated Actomyosin Contractility Coupled with Measurement of Epithelial Tension in Drosophila Embryos

Published on: April 14, 2023

Adhesion-driven rigidity transition decoupled from density-driven jamming triggers epithelial organization in

Laura Rustarazo-Calvo1,2, Cristina Pallares-Cartes1, Adrián Aguirre-Tamaral3

  • 1European Molecular Biology Laboratory Heidelberg, Developmental Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany.

Nature Physics
|June 19, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Tissue material properties are regulated by phase transitions, crucial for morphogenesis. Adhesion strength, not cell density, primarily determines tissue rheology, enabling developmental switches.

Keywords:
Biological physicsBiophysicsPhase transitions and critical phenomenaSoft materialsStatistical physics

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Imaging and Analysis of Tissue Orientation and Growth Dynamics in the Developing Drosophila Epithelia During Pupal Stages
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Imaging and Analysis of Tissue Orientation and Growth Dynamics in the Developing Drosophila Epithelia During Pupal Stages

Published on: June 2, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Tissue Engineering

Background:

  • Tissue material properties are actively regulated via phase transitions, essential for morphogenesis.
  • These transitions occur at critical points in parameters like cell density, shape, and adhesion, but their interdependence is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the interdependence of control parameters in regulating tissue material properties and morphogenetic trajectories.
  • To identify the primary determinant of tissue rheology and explore its role in switching morphogenetic programs.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical phase diagram definition for zebrafish pluripotent tissues during epiboly.
  • In vivo modulation of cell density, connectivity, and adhesion using optogenetics, biophysical measurements, and quantitative morphometrics.

Main Results:

  • Zebrafish pluripotent tissues simultaneously cross critical points in cell density, connectivity, and adhesion during epiboly.
  • Adhesion strength was identified as the main determinant of tissue rheology.
  • Adhesion-driven rigidification in unjammed pluripotent tissues switched their morphogenetic program, triggering epithelial organization via tricellular junction formation, lumenogenesis, and apical polarity initiation.

Conclusions:

  • Co-regulation of multiple parameters allows tissues to tune deformability and morphogenetic trajectory.
  • Adhesion is a key regulator of emergent tissue mechanics, driving tissue organization and morphogenesis.
  • Nonlinear dynamics of tissue mechanics are fundamental mechanisms for tissue organization and developmental processes.