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Necking of epithelial tissues with cellular topological transition
Yuan He1,2, Shi-Lei Xue2
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Plos Computational Biology
|July 29, 2026
Summary
Epithelial tissues undergo necking, a deformation behavior influenced by cell shape changes and topological transitions. This study models and simulates this process, revealing how defects affect tissue mechanics.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Cell Biology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Epithelial tissues form protective layers in organisms and experience significant mechanical forces during development.
- The finite deformation behavior of these tissues, particularly necking, is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the necking behavior of epithelial tissues using computational modeling and simulations.
- To understand the relationship between cellular topological transitions and tissue deformation.
Main Methods:
- Combined discrete vertex simulations with an analytical constitutive model.
- Utilized a mean-field formulation to link cell shape changes and topological transitions to tissue deformation.
Main Results:
- Identified a strong association between necking bifurcation in stretched tissues and cellular topological transitions.
- Predicted and validated bifurcation conditions and steady-state necking propagation using simulations.
- Demonstrated that topological defects facilitate bifurcation but hinder propagation, leading to thread-like structures.
Conclusions:
- Developed a predictive model for epithelial tissue necking based on cellular mechanics.
- Highlighted the role of topological defects in modulating tissue deformation.
- Showcased the general applicability of necking phenomena across different tissue configurations and surface tensions.
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