1
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Chouhan G, Lewis NS, Ghanekar V, Koti Ainavarapu SR, Inamdar MM, Sonawane M. Cell-size-dependent regulation of Ezrin dictates epithelial resilience to stretch by countering myosin-II-mediated contractility. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114271. [PMID: 38823013 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The epithelial adaptations to mechanical stress are facilitated by molecular and tissue-scale changes that include the strengthening of junctions, cytoskeletal reorganization, and cell-proliferation-mediated changes in tissue rheology. However, the role of cell size in controlling these properties remains underexplored. Our experiments in the zebrafish embryonic epidermis, guided by theoretical estimations, reveal a link between epithelial mechanics and cell size, demonstrating that an increase in cell size compromises the tissue fracture strength and compliance. We show that an increase in E-cadherin levels in the proliferation-deficient epidermis restores epidermal compliance but not the fracture strength, which is largely regulated by Ezrin-an apical membrane-cytoskeleton crosslinker. We show that Ezrin fortifies the epithelium in a cell-size-dependent manner by countering non-muscle myosin-II-mediated contractility. This work uncovers the importance of cell size maintenance in regulating the mechanical properties of the epithelium and fostering protection against future mechanical stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geetika Chouhan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Colaba, Mumbai, India
| | - Natasha Steffi Lewis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Colaba, Mumbai, India
| | - Vallari Ghanekar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Colaba, Mumbai, India
| | | | - Mandar M Inamdar
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India.
| | - Mahendra Sonawane
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Colaba, Mumbai, India.
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2
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Ambekar YS, Caiaffa CD, Wlodarczyk BJ, Singh M, Schill AW, Steele JW, Zhang J, Aglyamov SR, Scarcelli G, Finnell RH, Larin KV. Optical coherence tomography-guided Brillouin microscopy highlights regional tissue stiffness differences during anterior neural tube closure in the Mthfd1l murine mutant. Development 2024; 151:dev202475. [PMID: 38682273 PMCID: PMC11165724 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Neurulation is a highly synchronized biomechanical process leading to the formation of the brain and spinal cord, and its failure leads to neural tube defects (NTDs). Although we are rapidly learning the genetic mechanisms underlying NTDs, the biomechanical aspects are largely unknown. To understand the correlation between NTDs and tissue stiffness during neural tube closure (NTC), we imaged an NTD murine model using optical coherence tomography (OCT), Brillouin microscopy and confocal fluorescence microscopy. Here, we associate structural information from OCT with local stiffness from the Brillouin signal of embryos undergoing neurulation. The stiffness of neuroepithelial tissues in Mthfd1l null embryos was significantly lower than that of wild-type embryos. Additionally, exogenous formate supplementation improved tissue stiffness and gross embryonic morphology in nullizygous and heterozygous embryos. Our results demonstrate the significance of proper tissue stiffness in normal NTC and pave the way for future studies on the mechanobiology of normal and abnormal embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlo Donato Caiaffa
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Bogdan J. Wlodarczyk
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Manmohan Singh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Alexander W. Schill
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - John W. Steele
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jitao Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Salavat R. Aglyamov
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Giuliano Scarcelli
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Richard H. Finnell
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kirill V. Larin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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3
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Oikonomou P, Calvary L, Cirne HC, Welch AE, Durel JF, Powell O, Nerurkar NL. Application of tissue-scale tension to avian epithelia in vivo to study multiscale mechanical properties and inter-germ layer coupling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.04.588089. [PMID: 38617324 PMCID: PMC11014599 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.04.588089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
As cross-disciplinary approaches drawing from physics and mechanics have increasingly influenced our understanding of morphogenesis, the tools available to measure and perturb physical aspects of embryonic development have expanded as well. However, it remains a challenge to measure mechanical properties and apply exogenous tissue-scale forces in vivo, particularly for epithelia. Exploiting the size and accessibility of the developing chick embryo, here we describe a simple technique to quantitatively apply exogenous forces on the order of ~1-100 μN to the endodermal epithelium. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, we performed a series of proof-of-concept experiments that reveal fundamental and unexpected mechanical behaviors in the early chick embryo, including mechanotype heterogeneity among cells of the midgut endoderm, complex non-cell autonomous effects of actin disruption, and a high degree of mechanical coupling between the endoderm and adjacent paraxial mesoderm. To illustrate the broader utility of this method, we determined that forces on the order of ~ 10 μN are sufficient to unzip the neural tube during primary neurulation. Together, these findings provide basic insights into the mechanics of embryonic epithelia in vivo in the early avian embryo, and provide a useful tool for future investigations of how morphogenesis is influenced by mechanical factors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lisa Calvary
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York NY 10027
| | - Helena C. Cirne
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York NY 10027
| | - Andreas E. Welch
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York NY 10027
| | - John F. Durel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York NY 10027
| | - Olivia Powell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York NY 10027
| | - Nandan L. Nerurkar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York NY 10027
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4
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Campàs O, Noordstra I, Yap AS. Adherens junctions as molecular regulators of emergent tissue mechanics. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:252-269. [PMID: 38093099 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-023-00688-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Tissue and organ development during embryogenesis relies on the collective and coordinated action of many cells. Recent studies have revealed that tissue material properties, including transitions between fluid and solid tissue states, are controlled in space and time to shape embryonic structures and regulate cell behaviours. Although the collective cellular flows that sculpt tissues are guided by tissue-level physical changes, these ultimately emerge from cellular-level and subcellular-level molecular mechanisms. Adherens junctions are key subcellular structures, built from clusters of classical cadherin receptors. They mediate physical interactions between cells and connect biochemical signalling to the physical characteristics of cell contacts, hence playing a fundamental role in tissue morphogenesis. In this Review, we take advantage of the results of recent, quantitative measurements of tissue mechanics to relate the molecular and cellular characteristics of adherens junctions, including adhesion strength, tension and dynamics, to the emergent physical state of embryonic tissues. We focus on systems in which cell-cell interactions are the primary contributor to morphogenesis, without significant contribution from cell-matrix interactions. We suggest that emergent tissue mechanics is an important direction for future research, bridging cell biology, developmental biology and mechanobiology to provide a holistic understanding of morphogenesis in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otger Campàs
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Ivar Noordstra
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Alpha S Yap
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
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5
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Weng S, Devitt CC, Nyaoga BM, Havnen AE, Alvarado J, Wallingford JB. New tools reveal PCP-dependent polarized mechanics in the cortex and cytoplasm of single cells during convergent extension. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.07.566066. [PMID: 37986924 PMCID: PMC10659385 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.07.566066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Understanding biomechanics of biological systems is crucial for unraveling complex processes like tissue morphogenesis. However, current methods for studying cellular mechanics in vivo are limited by the need for specialized equipment and often provide limited spatiotemporal resolution. Here we introduce two new techniques, Tension by Transverse Fluctuation (TFlux) and in vivo microrheology, that overcome these limitations. They both offer time-resolved, subcellular biomechanical analysis using only fluorescent reporters and widely available microscopes. Employing these two techniques, we have revealed a planar cell polarity (PCP)-dependent mechanical gradient both in the cell cortex and the cytoplasm of individual cells engaged in convergent extension. Importantly, the non-invasive nature of these methods holds great promise for its application for uncovering subcellular mechanical variations across a wide array of biological contexts. Summary Non-invasive imaging-based techniques providing time-resolved biomechanical analysis at subcellular scales in developing vertebrate embryos.
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6
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Huang X, Xing Y, Cui Y, Ji B, Ding B, Zhong J, Jiu Y. Actomyosin-dependent cell contractility orchestrates Zika virus infection. J Cell Sci 2023; 136:jcs261301. [PMID: 37622381 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging pathogen infections, such as Zika virus (ZIKV), pose an increasing threat to human health, but the role of mechanobiological attributes of host cells during ZIKV infection is largely unknown. Here, we reveal that ZIKV infection leads to increased contractility of host cells. Importantly, we investigated whether host cell contractility contributes to ZIKV infection efficacy, from both the intracellular and extracellular perspective. By performing drug perturbation and gene editing experiments, we confirmed that disruption of contractile actomyosin compromises ZIKV infection efficiency, viral genome replication and viral particle production. By culturing on compliant matrix, we further demonstrate that a softer substrate, leading to less contractility of host cells, compromises ZIKV infection, which resembles the effects of disrupting intracellular actomyosin organization. Together, our work provides evidence to support a positive correlation between host cell contractility and ZIKV infection efficacy, thus unveiling an unprecedented layer of interplay between ZIKV and the host cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Huang
- Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, China
- Unit of Cell Biology and Imaging Study of Pathogen Host Interaction, The Center for Microbes, Development and Health, Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Shanghai Institute of Immunity and Infection, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yifan Xing
- Unit of Viral Hepatitis, Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road No. 19(A), Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yanqin Cui
- Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, China
| | - Baohua Ji
- Biomechanics and Mechanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Binbin Ding
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Jin Zhong
- Unit of Viral Hepatitis, Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road No. 19(A), Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yaming Jiu
- Unit of Cell Biology and Imaging Study of Pathogen Host Interaction, The Center for Microbes, Development and Health, Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Shanghai Institute of Immunity and Infection, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road No. 19(A), Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
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7
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Herrera-Perez RM, Cupo C, Allan C, Dagle AB, Kasza KE. Tissue flows are tuned by actomyosin-dependent mechanics in developing embryos. PRX LIFE 2023; 1:013004. [PMID: 38736460 PMCID: PMC11086709 DOI: 10.1103/prxlife.1.013004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Rapid epithelial tissue flows are essential to building and shaping developing embryos. However, the mechanical properties of embryonic epithelial tissues and the factors that control these properties are not well understood. Actomyosin generates contractile tensions and contributes to the mechanical properties of cells and cytoskeletal networks in vitro, but it remains unclear how the levels and patterns of actomyosin activity contribute to embryonic epithelial tissue mechanics in vivo. To dissect the roles of cell-generated tensions in the mechanics of flowing epithelial tissues, we use optogenetic tools to manipulate actomyosin contractility with spatiotemporal precision in the Drosophila germband epithelium, which rapidly flows during body axis elongation. We find that manipulating actomyosin-dependent tensions by either optogenetic activation or deactivation of actomyosin alters the solid-fluid mechanical properties of the germband epithelium, leading to changes in cell rearrangements and tissue-level flows. Optogenetically activating actomyosin leads to increases in the overall level but decreases in the anisotropy of tension in the tissue, whereas optogenetically deactivating actomyosin leads to decreases in both the level and anisotropy of tension compared to in wild-type embryos. We find that optogenetically activating actomyosin results in more solid-like (less fluid-like) tissue properties, which is associated with reduced cell rearrangements and tissue flow compared to in wild-type embryos. Optogenetically deactivating actomyosin also results in more solid-like properties than in wild-type embryos but less solid-like properties compared to optogenetically activating actomyosin. Together, these findings indicate that increasing the overall tension level is associated with more solid-like properties in tissues that are relatively isotropic, whereas high tension anisotropy fluidizes the tissue. Our results reveal that epithelial tissue flows in developing embryos involve the coordinated actomyosin-dependent regulation of the mechanical properties of tissues and the tensions driving them to flow in order to achieve rapid tissue remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christian Cupo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10027, USA
| | - Cole Allan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10027, USA
| | - Alicia B Dagle
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10027, USA
| | - Karen E Kasza
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10027, USA
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8
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Shellard A, Mayor R. Sculpting with stiffness: rigidity as a regulator of morphogenesis. Biochem Soc Trans 2023; 51:1009-1021. [PMID: 37114613 PMCID: PMC10317161 DOI: 10.1042/bst20220826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
From a physical perspective, morphogenesis of tissues results from interplay between their material properties and the mechanical forces exerted on them. The importance of mechanical forces in influencing cell behaviour is widely recognised, whereas the importance of tissue material properties in vivo, like stiffness, has only begun to receive attention in recent years. In this mini-review, we highlight key themes and concepts that have emerged related to how tissue stiffness, a fundamental material property, guides various morphogenetic processes in living organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Shellard
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Roberto Mayor
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
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9
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Emig AA, Williams MLK. Gastrulation morphogenesis in synthetic systems. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 141:3-13. [PMID: 35817656 PMCID: PMC9825685 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in pluripotent stem cell culture allow researchers to generate not only most embryonic cell types, but also morphologies of many embryonic structures, entirely in vitro. This recreation of embryonic form from naïve cells, known as synthetic morphogenesis, has important implications for both developmental biology and regenerative medicine. However, the capacity of stem cell-based models to recapitulate the morphogenetic cell behaviors that shape natural embryos remains unclear. In this review, we explore several examples of synthetic morphogenesis, with a focus on models of gastrulation and surrounding stages. By varying cell types, source species, and culture conditions, researchers have recreated aspects of primitive streak formation, emergence and elongation of the primary embryonic axis, neural tube closure, and more. Here, we describe cell behaviors within in vitro/ex vivo systems that mimic in vivo morphogenesis and highlight opportunities for more complete models of early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa A Emig
- Center for Precision Environmental Health & Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, USA
| | - Margot L K Williams
- Center for Precision Environmental Health & Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, USA.
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10
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Chan CU, Xiong F, Michaut A, Vidigueira JMN, Pourquié O, Mahadevan L. Direct force measurement and loading on developing tissues in intact avian embryos. Development 2023; 150:dev201054. [PMID: 37070753 PMCID: PMC10259510 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Developmental morphogenesis is driven by tissue stresses acting on tissue rheology. Direct measurements of forces in small tissues (100 µm-1 mm) in situ, such as in early embryos, require high spatial precision and minimal invasiveness. Here, we introduce a control-based approach, tissue force microscopy (TiFM), that integrates a mechanical cantilever probe and live imaging with closed-loop feedback control of mechanical loading in early chicken embryos. By testing previously qualitatively characterized force-producing tissues in the elongating body axis, we show that TiFM quantitatively captures stress dynamics with high sensitivity. TiFM also provides the means to apply stable, minimally invasive and physiologically relevant loads to drive tissue deformation and to follow the resulting morphogenetic progression associated with large-scale cell movements. Together, TiFM allows us to control tissue force measurement and manipulation in small developing embryos, and promises to contribute to the quantitative understanding of complex multi-tissue mechanics during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chon U. Chan
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore 138673
| | - Fengzhu Xiong
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham Women's Hospital and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Arthur Michaut
- Department of Pathology, Brigham Women's Hospital and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Olivier Pourquié
- Department of Pathology, Brigham Women's Hospital and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - L. Mahadevan
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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11
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Bocanegra-Moreno L, Singh A, Hannezo E, Zagorski M, Kicheva A. Cell cycle dynamics control fluidity of the developing mouse neuroepithelium. NATURE PHYSICS 2023; 19:1050-1058. [PMID: 37456593 PMCID: PMC10344780 DOI: 10.1038/s41567-023-01977-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
As developing tissues grow in size and undergo morphogenetic changes, their material properties may be altered. Such changes result from tension dynamics at cell contacts or cellular jamming. Yet, in many cases, the cellular mechanisms controlling the physical state of growing tissues are unclear. We found that at early developmental stages, the epithelium in the developing mouse spinal cord maintains both high junctional tension and high fluidity. This is achieved via a mechanism in which interkinetic nuclear movements generate cell area dynamics that drive extensive cell rearrangements. Over time, the cell proliferation rate declines, effectively solidifying the tissue. Thus, unlike well-studied jamming transitions, the solidification uncovered here resembles a glass transition that depends on the dynamical stresses generated by proliferation and differentiation. Our finding that the fluidity of developing epithelia is linked to interkinetic nuclear movements and the dynamics of growth is likely to be relevant to multiple developing tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amrita Singh
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Edouard Hannezo
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Marcin Zagorski
- Institute of Theoretical Physics and Mark Kac Center for Complex Systems Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Anna Kicheva
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
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12
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Escuin S, Rose Raza-Knight S, Savery D, Gaston-Massuet C, Galea GL, Greene NDE, Copp AJ. Dual mechanism underlying failure of neural tube closure in the Zic2 mutant mouse. Dis Model Mech 2023; 16:297163. [PMID: 36916392 PMCID: PMC10073009 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the molecular mechanisms that lead to birth defects is an important step towards improved primary prevention. Mouse embryos homozygous for the Kumba (Ku) mutant allele of Zic2 develop severe spina bifida with complete lack of dorsolateral hinge points (DLHPs) in the neuroepithelium. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling is overactivated in Zic2Ku/Ku embryos, and the BMP inhibitor dorsomorphin partially rescues neural tube closure in cultured embryos. RhoA signalling is also overactivated, with accumulation of actomyosin in the Zic2Ku/Ku neuroepithelium, and the myosin inhibitor Blebbistatin partially normalises neural tube closure. However, dorsomorphin and Blebbistatin differ in their effects at tissue and cellular levels: DLHP formation is rescued by dorsomorphin but not Blebbistatin, whereas abnormal accumulation of actomyosin is rescued by Blebbistatin but not dorsomorphin. These findings suggest a dual mechanism of spina bifida origin in Zic2Ku/Ku embryos: faulty BMP-dependent formation of DLHPs and RhoA-dependent F-actin accumulation in the neuroepithelium. Hence, we identify a multi-pathway origin of spina bifida in a mammalian system that may provide a developmental basis for understanding the corresponding multifactorial human defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Escuin
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Saba Rose Raza-Knight
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Dawn Savery
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Carles Gaston-Massuet
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Gabriel L Galea
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Nicholas D E Greene
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Andrew J Copp
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
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13
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Tomizawa Y, Daggett DF, Zheng G, Hoshino K. Light microscopy-based elastography for the mechanical characterization of zebrafish somitogenesis. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2023; 16:e202200238. [PMID: 36336921 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202200238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated the elasticity of live tissues of zebrafish embryos using label-free optical elastography. We employed a pair of custom-built elastic microcantilevers to gently compress a zebrafish embryo and used optical-tracking analysis to obtain the induced internal strain. We then built a finite element method (FEM) model and matched the strain with the optical analysis. The elastic moduli were found by minimizing the root-mean-square errors between the optical and FEM analyses. We evaluated the average elastic moduli of a developing somite, the overlying ectoderm, and the underlying yolk of seven zebrafish embryos during the early somitogenesis stages. The estimation results showed that the average elastic modulus of the somite increased from 150 to 700 Pa between 4- and 8-somite stages, while those of the ectoderm and the yolk stayed between 100 and 200 Pa, and they did not show significant changes. The result matches well with the developmental process of somitogenesis reported in the literature. This is among the first attempts to quantify spatially-resolved elasticity of embryonic tissues from optical elastography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuji Tomizawa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - David F Daggett
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Guoan Zheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Kazunori Hoshino
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
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14
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Christodoulou N, Skourides PA. Somitic mesoderm morphogenesis is necessary for neural tube closure during Xenopus development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 10:1091629. [PMID: 36699010 PMCID: PMC9868421 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1091629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural tube closure is a fundamental process during vertebrate embryogenesis, which leads to the formation of the central nervous system. Defective neural tube closure leads to neural tube defects which are some of the most common human birth defects. While the intrinsic morphogenetic events shaping the neuroepithelium have been studied extensively, how tissues mechanically coupled with the neural plate influence neural tube closure remains poorly understood. Here, using Xenopus laevis embryos, live imaging in combination with loss of function experiments and morphometric analysis of fixed samples we explore the reciprocal mechanical communication between the neural plate and the somitic mesoderm and its impact on tissue morphogenesis. We show that although somitic mesoderm convergent extension occurs independently from neural plate morphogenesis neural tube closure depends on somitic mesoderm morphogenesis. Specifically, impaired somitic mesoderm remodelling results in defective apical constriction within the neuroepithelium and failure of neural tube closure. Last, our data reveal that mild abnormalities in somitic mesoderm and neural plate morphogenesis have a synergistic effect during neurulation, leading to severe neural tube closure defects. Overall, our data reveal that defective morphogenesis of tissues mechanically coupled with the neural plate can not only drastically exacerbate mild neural tube defects that may arise from abnormalities within the neural tissue but can also elicit neural tube defects even when the neural plate is itself free of inherent defects.
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15
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Handler C, Scarcelli G, Zhang J. Time-lapse mechanical imaging of neural tube closure in live embryo using Brillouin microscopy. Sci Rep 2023; 13:263. [PMID: 36609620 PMCID: PMC9823106 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27456-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural tube closure (NTC) is a complex process of embryonic development involving molecular, cellular, and biomechanical mechanisms. While the genetic factors and biochemical signaling have been extensively investigated, the role of tissue biomechanics remains mostly unexplored due to the lack of tools. Here, we developed an optical modality that can conduct time-lapse mechanical imaging of neural plate tissue as the embryo is experiencing neurulation. This technique is based on the combination of a confocal Brillouin microscope and a modified ex ovo culturing of chick embryo with an on-stage incubator. With this technique, for the first time, we captured the mechanical evolution of the neural plate tissue with live embryos. Specifically, we observed the continuous increase in tissue modulus of the neural plate during NTC for ex ovo cultured embryos, which is consistent with the data of in ovo culture as well as previous studies. Beyond that, we found that the increase in tissue modulus was highly correlated with the tissue thickening and bending. We foresee this non-contact and label-free technique opening new opportunities to understand the biomechanical mechanisms in embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenchen Handler
- grid.164295.d0000 0001 0941 7177Fischell Department of Bioengineering, A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Giuliano Scarcelli
- grid.164295.d0000 0001 0941 7177Fischell Department of Bioengineering, A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Jitao Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
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16
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Davidson LA. Microsurgical Methods to Make the Keller Sandwich Explant and the Dorsal Isolate. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2022; 2022:Pdb.prot097386. [PMID: 35577523 PMCID: PMC9989777 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot097386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
This protocol summarizes preparation of the dorsal marginal zone sandwich explant (a.k.a. the "Keller sandwich") and the dorsal isolate from Xenopus embryos. The Keller sandwich is assembled from two early gastrula stage dorsal marginal zone (DMZ) explants. DMZ explants isolated before involution maintain planar patterning processes and block radial signals that might be exchanged between pre- and postinvolution tissues. DMZ explants isolated later in gastrulation, but subsequently opened and flattened may have both planar and radial patterning. The epithelial margins of DMZ explants in Keller sandwiches heal and basal contacts form between the deep layers of the two DMZ explants. The dorsal isolate is dissected from mid- to late-gastrula stage embryos after involution and archenteron formation. Germ-layer contacts between dorsal endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm generated by gastrulation movements are maintained in the dorsal isolate. These two explants can be used to study tissue, cell, and subcellular processes relevant to convergent extension, from patterning to cell behaviors, and their collective biomechanics. Skills needed to dissect the Keller sandwich are greater than those needed to dissect animal cap ectoderm and can be mastered in a few weeks; skills needed to dissect the dorsal isolate are similar to those needed to dissect animal caps and can be learned in a week.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lance A Davidson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA .,Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.,Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
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17
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Mechanical guidance of self-condensation patterns of differentiating progeny. iScience 2022; 25:105109. [DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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18
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Tamura A, Saiki M, Hongu JI, Matsumoto T. Stiffness estimation of transversely anisotropic materials using a novel indentation tester with a rectangular hole. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin 2022; 26:893-904. [PMID: 35833654 DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2022.2098015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Since embryos change their morphology drastically in the gastrulation stage, mechanical characterization of young embryos is important as they also change their tissue stiffness with the stage of development. Herein, virtual compression tests were conducted assuming that the Xenopus laevis gastrula has a spherical shape with transverse anisotropy. Based on the design of experiments, we found that the Young's moduli and material anisotropy can be efficiently determined by measuring the reaction force and surface displacement when indenting the tester into an embryo. The proposed scheme may be a substantial step toward understanding the timing of cell-type specification during embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsutaka Tamura
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tottori University, Totori, Tottori, Japan
| | - Mika Saiki
- Department of Mechanical and Physical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tottori University, Totori, Tottori, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichi Hongu
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tottori University, Totori, Tottori, Japan
| | - Takeo Matsumoto
- Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
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19
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Guo T, He C, Venado A, Zhou Y. Extracellular Matrix Stiffness in Lung Health and Disease. Compr Physiol 2022; 12:3523-3558. [PMID: 35766837 PMCID: PMC10088466 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c210032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides structural support and imparts a wide variety of environmental cues to cells. In the past decade, a growing body of work revealed that the mechanical properties of the ECM, commonly known as matrix stiffness, regulate the fundamental cellular processes of the lung. There is growing appreciation that mechanical interplays between cells and associated ECM are essential to maintain lung homeostasis. Dysregulation of ECM-derived mechanical signaling via altered mechanosensing and mechanotransduction pathways is associated with many common lung diseases. Matrix stiffening is a hallmark of lung fibrosis. The stiffened ECM is not merely a sequelae of lung fibrosis but can actively drive the progression of fibrotic lung disease. In this article, we provide a comprehensive view on the role of matrix stiffness in lung health and disease. We begin by summarizing the effects of matrix stiffness on the function and behavior of various lung cell types and on regulation of biomolecule activity and key physiological processes, including host immune response and cellular metabolism. We discuss the potential mechanisms by which cells probe matrix stiffness and convert mechanical signals to regulate gene expression. We highlight the factors that govern matrix stiffness and outline the role of matrix stiffness in lung development and the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer. We envision targeting of deleterious matrix mechanical cues for treatment of fibrotic lung disease. Advances in technologies for matrix stiffness measurements and design of stiffness-tunable matrix substrates are also explored. © 2022 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 12:3523-3558, 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Guo
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama, USA.,Department of Respiratory Medicine, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central-South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chao He
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Aida Venado
- Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Yong Zhou
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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20
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Gomes de Almeida P, Rifes P, Martins-Jesus AP, Pinheiro GG, Andrade RP, Thorsteinsdóttir S. Cell–Fibronectin Interactions and Actomyosin Contractility Regulate the Segmentation Clock and Spatio-Temporal Somite Cleft Formation during Chick Embryo Somitogenesis. Cells 2022; 11:cells11132003. [PMID: 35805087 PMCID: PMC9266262 DOI: 10.3390/cells11132003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibronectin is essential for somite formation in the vertebrate embryo. Fibronectin matrix assembly starts as cells emerge from the primitive streak and ingress in the unsegmented presomitic mesoderm (PSM). PSM cells undergo cyclic waves of segmentation clock gene expression, followed by Notch-dependent upregulation of meso1 in the rostral PSM which induces somite cleft formation. However, the relevance of the fibronectin matrix for these molecular processes remains unknown. Here, we assessed the role of the PSM fibronectin matrix in the spatio-temporal regulation of chick embryo somitogenesis by perturbing (1) extracellular fibronectin matrix assembly, (2) integrin–fibronectin binding, (3) Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) activity and (4) non-muscle myosin II (NM II) function. We found that integrin–fibronectin engagement and NM II activity are required for cell polarization in the nascent somite. All treatments resulted in defective somitic clefts and significantly perturbed meso1 and segmentation clock gene expression in the PSM. Importantly, inhibition of actomyosin-mediated contractility increased the period of hairy1/hes4 oscillations from 90 to 120 min. Together, our work strongly suggests that the fibronectin–integrin–ROCK–NM II axis regulates segmentation clock dynamics and dictates the spatio-temporal localization of somitic clefts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Gomes de Almeida
- cE3c—CHANGE, Departmento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1740-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (P.G.d.A.); (P.R.); (G.G.P.)
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (A.P.M.-J.); (R.P.A.)
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas (FMCB), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Pedro Rifes
- cE3c—CHANGE, Departmento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1740-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (P.G.d.A.); (P.R.); (G.G.P.)
| | - Ana P. Martins-Jesus
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (A.P.M.-J.); (R.P.A.)
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas (FMCB), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Gonçalo G. Pinheiro
- cE3c—CHANGE, Departmento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1740-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (P.G.d.A.); (P.R.); (G.G.P.)
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (A.P.M.-J.); (R.P.A.)
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas (FMCB), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Raquel P. Andrade
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (A.P.M.-J.); (R.P.A.)
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas (FMCB), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Champalimaud Research Program, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sólveig Thorsteinsdóttir
- cE3c—CHANGE, Departmento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1740-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (P.G.d.A.); (P.R.); (G.G.P.)
- Correspondence:
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21
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Huebner RJ, Weng S, Lee C, Sarıkaya S, Papoulas O, Cox RM, Marcotte EM, Wallingford JB. ARVCF catenin controls force production during vertebrate convergent extension. Dev Cell 2022; 57:1119-1131.e5. [PMID: 35476939 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The design of an animal's body plan is encoded in the genome, and the execution of this program is a mechanical progression involving coordinated movement of proteins, cells, and whole tissues. Thus, a challenge to understanding morphogenesis is connecting events that occur across various length scales. Here, we describe how a poorly characterized adhesion effector, Arvcf catenin, controls Xenopus head-to-tail axis extension. We find that Arvcf is required for axis extension within the intact organism but not within isolated tissues. We show that the organism-scale phenotype results from a defect in tissue-scale force production. Finally, we determine that the force defect results from the dampening of the pulsatile recruitment of cell adhesion and cytoskeletal proteins to membranes. These results provide a comprehensive understanding of Arvcf function during axis extension and produce an insight into how a cellular-scale defect in adhesion results in an organism-scale failure of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Huebner
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Shinuo Weng
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Chanjae Lee
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Sena Sarıkaya
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Ophelia Papoulas
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Rachael M Cox
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Edward M Marcotte
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - John B Wallingford
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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22
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Koyama H, Suzuki M, Yasue N, Sasaki H, Ueno N, Fujimori T. Differential Cellular Stiffness Contributes to Tissue Elongation on an Expanding Surface. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:864135. [PMID: 35425767 PMCID: PMC9001851 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.864135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Pattern formation and morphogenesis of cell populations is essential for successful embryogenesis. Steinberg proposed the differential adhesion hypothesis, and differences in cell–cell adhesion and interfacial tension have proven to be critical for cell sorting. Standard theoretical models such as the vertex model consider not only cell–cell adhesion/tension but also area elasticity of apical cell surfaces and viscous friction forces. However, the potential contributions of the latter two parameters to pattern formation and morphogenesis remain to be determined. In this theoretical study, we analyzed the effect of both area elasticity and the coefficient of friction on pattern formation and morphogenesis. We assumed the presence of two cell populations, one population of which is surrounded by the other. Both populations were placed on the surface of a uniformly expanding environment analogous to growing embryos, in which friction forces are exerted between cell populations and their expanding environment. When the area elasticity or friction coefficient in the cell cluster was increased relative to that of the surrounding cell population, the cell cluster was elongated. In comparison with experimental observations, elongation of the notochord in mice is consistent with the hypothesis based on the difference in area elasticity but not the difference in friction coefficient. Because area elasticity is an index of cellular stiffness, we propose that differential cellular stiffness may contribute to tissue elongation within an expanding environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Koyama
- Division of Embryology, National Institute for Basic Biology (Div. Embryology, NIBB), Okazaki, Japan.,Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Japan
| | - Makoto Suzuki
- Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Japan.,Division of Morphogenesis, National Institute for Basic Biology (Div. Morphogenesis, NIBB), Okazaki, Japan.,Amphibian Research Center, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University (ARC, Hiroshima Univ.), Higashihiroshima, Japan
| | - Naoko Yasue
- Division of Morphogenesis, National Institute for Basic Biology (Div. Morphogenesis, NIBB), Okazaki, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Sasaki
- Laboratory for Embryogenesis, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University (FBS, Osaka Univ.), Suita, Japan
| | - Naoto Ueno
- Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Japan.,Division of Morphogenesis, National Institute for Basic Biology (Div. Morphogenesis, NIBB), Okazaki, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Fujimori
- Division of Embryology, National Institute for Basic Biology (Div. Embryology, NIBB), Okazaki, Japan.,Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Japan
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23
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Fleury V, Abourachid A. A biaxial tensional model for early vertebrate morphogenesis. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2022; 45:31. [PMID: 35394228 PMCID: PMC8993754 DOI: 10.1140/epje/s10189-022-00184-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We propose a simple biaxial tensional model which is able to reproduce at a qualitative level several aspects of early stages of vertebrate morphogenesis. The model is based on subsequent excitable contractions of an orthoradial and periclinal (radial) set of contracting lines, which generate first the basic embryonic pattern (a motile tube), and second the lateral orifices such as ears, eyes, mouth, gills, etc. An important aspect of the model is the self-arresting character of the process, akin to wound healing. At later stages, the biaxial lines may also work in extension, and this generates a developmental feedback which is quadratic with respect to curvature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Fleury
- Laboratoire MSC, CNRS/Universit é de Paris Cité, UMR 7057, 10 rue Alice Domont et Ĺeonie Duquet, 75013, Paris, France.
| | - Anick Abourachid
- Laboratoire Mécanismes Adaptatifs et Evolution, UMR 7179 MNHN/CNRS, CP 55, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231, Paris Cedex 05, France
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24
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Regev I, Guevorkian K, Gupta A, Pourquié O, Mahadevan L. Rectified random cell motility as a mechanism for embryo elongation. Development 2022; 149:274852. [PMID: 35344041 PMCID: PMC9017234 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The body of vertebrate embryos forms by posterior elongation from a terminal growth zone called the tail bud. The tail bud is a source of highly motile cells that eventually constitute the presomitic mesoderm (PSM), a tissue that plays an important role in elongation movements. PSM cells establish an anterior-posterior cell motility gradient that parallels a gradient associated with the degradation of a specific cellular signal (FGF) known to be implicated in cell motility. Here, we combine the electroporation of fluorescent reporters in the PSM with time-lapse imaging in the chicken embryo to quantify cell diffusive movements along the motility gradient. We show that a simple microscopic model for random cell motility induced by FGF activity along with geometric confinement leads to rectified tissue elongation consistent with our observations. A continuum analog of the microscopic model leads to a macroscopic mechano-chemical model for tissue extension that couples FGF activity-induced cell motility and tissue rheology, and is consistent with the experimentally observed speed and extent of elongation. Together, our experimental observations and theoretical models explain how the continuous addition of cells at the tail bud combined with lateral confinement can be converted into oriented movement and drive body elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ido Regev
- Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Solar Energy and Environmental Physics, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus 84990, Israel
| | - Karine Guevorkian
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Inserm, Illkirch, France
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Department of Pathology, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR168, Laboratoire Physico-Chimie Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Anupam Gupta
- Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Telangana 502285, India
| | - Olivier Pourquié
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Department of Pathology, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - L. Mahadevan
- Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Physics and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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25
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Richardson MK, Keuck G. The revolutionary developmental biology of Wilhelm His, Sr. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1131-1160. [PMID: 35106889 PMCID: PMC9304566 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Swiss‐born embryologist Wilhelm His, Sr. (1831–1904) was the first scientist to study embryos using paraffin histology, serial sectioning and three‐dimensional modelling. With these techniques, His made many important discoveries in vertebrate embryology and developmental neurobiology, earning him two Nobel Prize nominations. He also developed several theories of mechanical and evolutionary developmental biology. His argued that adult form is determined by the differential growth of developmental primordia. Furthermore, he suggested that changes in the growth parameters of those primordia are responsible for generating new phenotypes during evolution. His developed these theories in his book ‘Our Bodily Form’ (Unsere Körperform). Here, we review His's work with special emphasis on its potential importance to the disciplines of evolutionary developmental biology (evo‐devo) and mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael K Richardson
- Institute of Biology, University of Leiden, Sylvius Laboratory, Sylviusweg 72, Leiden, 2333 BE, The Netherlands
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26
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Belyaeva V, Wachner S, Gyoergy A, Emtenani S, Gridchyn I, Akhmanova M, Linder M, Roblek M, Sibilia M, Siekhaus D. Fos regulates macrophage infiltration against surrounding tissue resistance by a cortical actin-based mechanism in Drosophila. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001494. [PMID: 34990456 PMCID: PMC8735623 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The infiltration of immune cells into tissues underlies the establishment of tissue-resident macrophages and responses to infections and tumors. Yet the mechanisms immune cells utilize to negotiate tissue barriers in living organisms are not well understood, and a role for cortical actin has not been examined. Here, we find that the tissue invasion of Drosophila macrophages, also known as plasmatocytes or hemocytes, utilizes enhanced cortical F-actin levels stimulated by the Drosophila member of the fos proto oncogene transcription factor family (Dfos, Kayak). RNA sequencing analysis and live imaging show that Dfos enhances F-actin levels around the entire macrophage surface by increasing mRNA levels of the membrane spanning molecular scaffold tetraspanin TM4SF, and the actin cross-linking filamin Cheerio, which are themselves required for invasion. Both the filamin and the tetraspanin enhance the cortical activity of Rho1 and the formin Diaphanous and thus the assembly of cortical actin, which is a critical function since expressing a dominant active form of Diaphanous can rescue the Dfos macrophage invasion defect. In vivo imaging shows that Dfos enhances the efficiency of the initial phases of macrophage tissue entry. Genetic evidence argues that this Dfos-induced program in macrophages counteracts the constraint produced by the tension of surrounding tissues and buffers the properties of the macrophage nucleus from affecting tissue entry. We thus identify strengthening the cortical actin cytoskeleton through Dfos as a key process allowing efficient forward movement of an immune cell into surrounding tissues. The infiltration of immune cells into tissue underlies the establishment of tissue-resident macrophages, and responses to infections and tumors, but how do they overcome tissue barriers? This study shows that macrophages upregulate the proto-oncogene Fos, increasing the density and crosslinking of cortical actin, thereby counteracting the tension of surrounding tissues and protecting the macrophage nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Belyaeva
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Stephanie Wachner
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Attila Gyoergy
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Shamsi Emtenani
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Igor Gridchyn
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Maria Akhmanova
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Markus Linder
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine 1, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marko Roblek
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Maria Sibilia
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine 1, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daria Siekhaus
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
- * E-mail:
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27
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Extracellular hyaluronate pressure shaped by cellular tethers drives tissue morphogenesis. Cell 2021; 184:6313-6325.e18. [PMID: 34942099 PMCID: PMC8722442 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
How tissues acquire complex shapes is a fundamental question in biology and regenerative medicine. Zebrafish semicircular canals form from invaginations in the otic epithelium (buds) that extend and fuse to form the hubs of each canal. We find that conventional actomyosin-driven behaviors are not required. Instead, local secretion of hyaluronan, made by the enzymes uridine 5'-diphosphate dehydrogenase (ugdh) and hyaluronan synthase 3 (has3), drives canal morphogenesis. Charged hyaluronate polymers osmotically swell with water and generate isotropic extracellular pressure to deform the overlying epithelium into buds. The mechanical anisotropy needed to shape buds into tubes is conferred by a polarized distribution of actomyosin and E-cadherin-rich membrane tethers, which we term cytocinches. Most work on tissue morphogenesis ascribes actomyosin contractility as the driving force, while the extracellular matrix shapes tissues through differential stiffness. Our work inverts this expectation. Hyaluronate pressure shaped by anisotropic tissue stiffness may be a widespread mechanism for powering morphological change in organogenesis and tissue engineering.
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28
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Trubuil E, D'Angelo A, Solon J. Tissue mechanics in morphogenesis: Active control of tissue material properties to shape living organisms. Cells Dev 2021; 168:203777. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2022.203777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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29
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Petzold J, Gentleman E. Intrinsic Mechanical Cues and Their Impact on Stem Cells and Embryogenesis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:761871. [PMID: 34820380 PMCID: PMC8606660 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.761871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Although understanding how soluble cues direct cellular processes revolutionised the study of cell biology in the second half of the 20th century, over the last two decades, new insights into how mechanical cues similarly impact cell fate decisions has gained momentum. During development, extrinsic cues such as fluid flow, shear stress and compressive forces are essential for normal embryogenesis to proceed. Indeed, both adult and embryonic stem cells can respond to applied forces, but they can also detect intrinsic mechanical cues from their surrounding environment, such as the stiffness of the extracellular matrix, which impacts differentiation and morphogenesis. Cells can detect changes in their mechanical environment using cell surface receptors such as integrins and focal adhesions. Moreover, dynamic rearrangements of the cytoskeleton have been identified as a key means by which forces are transmitted from the extracellular matrix to the cell and vice versa. Although we have some understanding of the downstream mechanisms whereby mechanical cues are translated into changes in cell behaviour, many of the signalling pathways remain to be defined. This review discusses the importance of intrinsic mechanical cues on adult cell fate decisions, the emerging roles of cell surface mechano-sensors and the cytoskeleton in enabling cells to sense its microenvironment, and the role of intracellular signalling in translating mechanical cues into transcriptional outputs. In addition, the contribution of mechanical cues to fundamental processes during embryogenesis such as apical constriction and convergent extension is discussed. The continued development of tools to measure the biomechanical properties of soft tissues in vivo is likely to uncover currently underestimated contributions of these cues to adult stem cell fate decisions and embryogenesis, and may inform on regenerative strategies for tissue repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonna Petzold
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eileen Gentleman
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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30
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Mechanics of neural tube morphogenesis. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 130:56-69. [PMID: 34561169 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The neural tube is an important model system of morphogenesis representing the developmental module of out-of-plane epithelial deformation. As the embryonic precursor of the central nervous system, the neural tube also holds keys to many defects and diseases. Recent advances begin to reveal how genetic, cellular and environmental mechanisms work in concert to ensure correct neural tube shape. A physical model is emerging where these factors converge at the regulation of the mechanical forces and properties within and around the tissue that drive tube formation towards completion. Here we review the dynamics and mechanics of neural tube morphogenesis and discuss the underlying cellular behaviours from the viewpoint of tissue mechanics. We will also highlight some of the conceptual and technical next steps.
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31
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Sidhu I, Barwe SP, Kiick KL, Kolb EA, Gopalakrishnapillai A. A 3-D hydrogel based system for hematopoietic differentiation and its use in modeling down syndrome associated transient myeloproliferative disorder. Biomater Sci 2021; 9:6266-6281. [PMID: 34369483 PMCID: PMC8570143 DOI: 10.1039/d1bm00442e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) provide an extraordinary tool for disease modeling owing to their potential to differentiate into the desired cell type. The differentiation of iPSCs is typically performed on 2-dimensional monolayers of stromal cell or animal tissue derived extracellular matrices. Recent advancements in disease modeling have utilized iPSCs in 3-dimensional (3D) cultures to study diseases such as muscular dystrophy, cardiomyopathy, and pulmonary fibrosis. However, these approaches are yet to be explored in modeling the hematological malignancies. Transient myeloproliferative disorder (TMD) is a preleukemic stage, which is induced in 10-20% of children with trisomy 21 possessing the pathognomonic mutation in the transcription factor GATA1. In this study, we established a synthetic 3D iPSC culture system for modeling TMD via hematopoietic differentiation of customized iPSCs. A chemically cross-linkable PEG hydrogel decorated with integrin binding peptide was found to be permissive of hematopoietic differentiation of iPSCs. It provided a cost-effective system for the generation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) with higher yield of early HSPCs compared to traditional 2D culture on Matrigel coated dishes. Characterization of the HSPCs produced from the iPSC lines cultured in 3D showed that the erythroid population was reduced whereas the megakaryoid and myeloid populations were significantly increased in GATA1 mutant trisomic line compared to disomic or trisomic lines with wild-type GATA1, consistent with TMD characteristics. In conclusion, we have identified a cost-effective tunable 3D hydrogel system to model TMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishnoor Sidhu
- Nemours Centers for Childhood Cancer Research and Cancer & Blood Disorders, A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA.
- University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19711, USA
| | - Sonali P Barwe
- Nemours Centers for Childhood Cancer Research and Cancer & Blood Disorders, A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA.
- University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19711, USA
| | | | - E Anders Kolb
- Nemours Centers for Childhood Cancer Research and Cancer & Blood Disorders, A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA.
| | - Anilkumar Gopalakrishnapillai
- Nemours Centers for Childhood Cancer Research and Cancer & Blood Disorders, A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA.
- University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19711, USA
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32
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Holcomb MC, Gao GJJ, Servati M, Schneider D, McNeely PK, Thomas JH, Blawzdziewicz J. Mechanical feedback and robustness of apical constrictions in Drosophila embryo ventral furrow formation. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009173. [PMID: 34228708 PMCID: PMC8284804 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Formation of the ventral furrow in the Drosophila embryo relies on the apical constriction of cells in the ventral region to produce bending forces that drive tissue invagination. In our recent paper we observed that apical constrictions during the initial phase of ventral furrow formation produce elongated patterns of cellular constriction chains prior to invagination and argued that these are indicative of tensile stress feedback. Here, we quantitatively analyze the constriction patterns preceding ventral furrow formation and find that they are consistent with the predictions of our active-granular-fluid model of a monolayer of mechanically coupled stress-sensitive constricting particles. Our model shows that tensile feedback causes constriction chains to develop along underlying precursor tensile stress chains that gradually strengthen with subsequent cellular constrictions. As seen in both our model and available optogenetic experiments, this mechanism allows constriction chains to penetrate or circumvent zones of reduced cell contractility, thus increasing the robustness of ventral furrow formation to spatial variation of cell contractility by rescuing cellular constrictions in the disrupted regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C. Holcomb
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
| | - Guo-Jie Jason Gao
- Department of Mathematical and Systems Engineering, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Mahsa Servati
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
| | - Dylan Schneider
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
| | - Presley K. McNeely
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey H. Thomas
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jerzy Blawzdziewicz
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
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33
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Libby ARG, Joy DA, Elder NH, Bulger EA, Krakora MZ, Gaylord EA, Mendoza-Camacho F, Butts JC, McDevitt TC. Axial elongation of caudalized human organoids mimics aspects of neural tube development. Development 2021; 148:269182. [PMID: 34142711 DOI: 10.1242/dev.198275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Axial elongation of the neural tube is crucial during mammalian embryogenesis for anterior-posterior body axis establishment and subsequent spinal cord development, but these processes cannot be interrogated directly in humans as they occur post-implantation. Here, we report an organoid model of neural tube extension derived from human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) aggregates that have been caudalized with Wnt agonism, enabling them to recapitulate aspects of the morphological and temporal gene expression patterns of neural tube development. Elongating organoids consist largely of neuroepithelial compartments and contain TBXT+SOX2+ neuro-mesodermal progenitors in addition to PAX6+NES+ neural progenitors. A critical threshold of Wnt agonism stimulated singular axial extensions while maintaining multiple cell lineages, such that organoids displayed regionalized anterior-to-posterior HOX gene expression with hindbrain (HOXB1) regions spatially distinct from brachial (HOXC6) and thoracic (HOXB9) regions. CRISPR interference-mediated silencing of TBXT, a Wnt pathway target, increased neuroepithelial compartmentalization, abrogated HOX expression and disrupted uniaxial elongation. Together, these results demonstrate the potent capacity of caudalized hPSC organoids to undergo axial elongation in a manner that can be used to dissect the cellular organization and patterning decisions that dictate early human nervous system development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley R G Libby
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology PhD Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - David A Joy
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,UC Berkeley-UC San Francisco Graduate Program in Bioengineering, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Nicholas H Elder
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology PhD Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Emily A Bulger
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology PhD Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | | | - Eliza A Gaylord
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology PhD Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Frederico Mendoza-Camacho
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology PhD Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | | | - Todd C McDevitt
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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34
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Huebner RJ, Malmi-Kakkada AN, Sarıkaya S, Weng S, Thirumalai D, Wallingford JB. Mechanical heterogeneity along single cell-cell junctions is driven by lateral clustering of cadherins during vertebrate axis elongation. eLife 2021; 10:e65390. [PMID: 34032216 PMCID: PMC8205493 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Morphogenesis is governed by the interplay of molecular signals and mechanical forces across multiple length scales. The last decade has seen tremendous advances in our understanding of the dynamics of protein localization and turnover at subcellular length scales, and at the other end of the spectrum, of mechanics at tissue-level length scales. Integrating the two remains a challenge, however, because we lack a detailed understanding of the subcellular patterns of mechanical properties of cells within tissues. Here, in the context of the elongating body axis of Xenopus embryos, we combine tools from cell biology and physics to demonstrate that individual cell-cell junctions display finely-patterned local mechanical heterogeneity along their length. We show that such local mechanical patterning is essential for the cell movements of convergent extension and is imparted by locally patterned clustering of a classical cadherin. Finally, the patterning of cadherins and thus local mechanics along cell-cell junctions are controlled by Planar Cell Polarity signaling, a key genetic module for CE that is mutated in diverse human birth defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Huebner
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of TexasAustinUnited States
| | - Abdul Naseer Malmi-Kakkada
- Department of Chemistry, University of TexasAustinUnited States
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Augusta UniversityAugustaGeorgia
| | - Sena Sarıkaya
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of TexasAustinUnited States
| | - Shinuo Weng
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of TexasAustinUnited States
| | - D Thirumalai
- Department of Chemistry, University of TexasAustinUnited States
| | - John B Wallingford
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of TexasAustinUnited States
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35
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Dey K, Roca E, Ramorino G, Sartore L. Progress in the mechanical modulation of cell functions in tissue engineering. Biomater Sci 2021; 8:7033-7081. [PMID: 33150878 DOI: 10.1039/d0bm01255f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In mammals, mechanics at multiple stages-nucleus to cell to ECM-underlie multiple physiological and pathological functions from its development to reproduction to death. Under this inspiration, substantial research has established the role of multiple aspects of mechanics in regulating fundamental cellular processes, including spreading, migration, growth, proliferation, and differentiation. However, our understanding of how these mechanical mechanisms are orchestrated or tuned at different stages to maintain or restore the healthy environment at the tissue or organ level remains largely a mystery. Over the past few decades, research in the mechanical manipulation of the surrounding environment-known as substrate or matrix or scaffold on which, or within which, cells are seeded-has been exceptionally enriched in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. To do so, traditional tissue engineering aims at recapitulating key mechanical milestones of native ECM into a substrate for guiding the cell fate and functions towards specific tissue regeneration. Despite tremendous progress, a big puzzle that remains is how the cells compute a host of mechanical cues, such as stiffness (elasticity), viscoelasticity, plasticity, non-linear elasticity, anisotropy, mechanical forces, and mechanical memory, into many biological functions in a cooperative, controlled, and safe manner. High throughput understanding of key cellular decisions as well as associated mechanosensitive downstream signaling pathway(s) for executing these decisions in response to mechanical cues, solo or combined, is essential to address this issue. While many reports have been made towards the progress and understanding of mechanical cues-particularly, substrate bulk stiffness and viscoelasticity-in regulating the cellular responses, a complete picture of mechanical cues is lacking. This review highlights a comprehensive view on the mechanical cues that are linked to modulate many cellular functions and consequent tissue functionality. For a very basic understanding, a brief discussion of the key mechanical players of ECM and the principle of mechanotransduction process is outlined. In addition, this review gathers together the most important data on the stiffness of various cells and ECM components as well as various tissues/organs and proposes an associated link from the mechanical perspective that is not yet reported. Finally, beyond addressing the challenges involved in tuning the interplaying mechanical cues in an independent manner, emerging advances in designing biomaterials for tissue engineering are also explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamol Dey
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Science, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh
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36
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Maniou E, Staddon MF, Marshall AR, Greene NDE, Copp AJ, Banerjee S, Galea GL. Hindbrain neuropore tissue geometry determines asymmetric cell-mediated closure dynamics in mouse embryos. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2023163118. [PMID: 33941697 PMCID: PMC8126771 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2023163118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Gap closure is a common morphogenetic process. In mammals, failure to close the embryonic hindbrain neuropore (HNP) gap causes fatal anencephaly. We observed that surface ectoderm cells surrounding the mouse HNP assemble high-tension actomyosin purse strings at their leading edge and establish the initial contacts across the embryonic midline. Fibronectin and laminin are present, and tensin 1 accumulates in focal adhesion-like puncta at this leading edge. The HNP gap closes asymmetrically, faster from its rostral than caudal end, while maintaining an elongated aspect ratio. Cell-based physical modeling identifies two closure mechanisms sufficient to account for tissue-level HNP closure dynamics: purse-string contraction and directional cell motion implemented through active crawling. Combining both closure mechanisms hastens gap closure and produces a constant rate of gap shortening. Purse-string contraction reduces, whereas crawling increases gap aspect ratio, and their combination maintains it. Closure rate asymmetry can be explained by asymmetric embryo tissue geometry, namely a narrower rostral gap apex, whereas biomechanical tension inferred from laser ablation is equivalent at the gaps' rostral and caudal closure points. At the cellular level, the physical model predicts rearrangements of cells at the HNP rostral and caudal extremes as the gap shortens. These behaviors are reproducibly live imaged in mouse embryos. Thus, mammalian embryos coordinate cellular- and tissue-level mechanics to achieve this critical gap closure event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirini Maniou
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Researching and Teaching, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, WC1N 1EH London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael F Staddon
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, WC1E 6BT London, United Kingdom
| | - Abigail R Marshall
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Researching and Teaching, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, WC1N 1EH London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas D E Greene
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Researching and Teaching, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, WC1N 1EH London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J Copp
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Researching and Teaching, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, WC1N 1EH London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Gabriel L Galea
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Researching and Teaching, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, WC1N 1EH London, United Kingdom;
- Department of Comparative Bioveterinary Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, NW1 0TU London, United Kingdom
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37
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Du W, Bhojwani A, Hu JK. FACEts of mechanical regulation in the morphogenesis of craniofacial structures. Int J Oral Sci 2021; 13:4. [PMID: 33547271 PMCID: PMC7865003 DOI: 10.1038/s41368-020-00110-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
During embryonic development, organs undergo distinct and programmed morphological changes as they develop into their functional forms. While genetics and biochemical signals are well recognized regulators of morphogenesis, mechanical forces and the physical properties of tissues are now emerging as integral parts of this process as well. These physical factors drive coordinated cell movements and reorganizations, shape and size changes, proliferation and differentiation, as well as gene expression changes, and ultimately sculpt any developing structure by guiding correct cellular architectures and compositions. In this review we focus on several craniofacial structures, including the tooth, the mandible, the palate, and the cranium. We discuss the spatiotemporal regulation of different mechanical cues at both the cellular and tissue scales during craniofacial development and examine how tissue mechanics control various aspects of cell biology and signaling to shape a developing craniofacial organ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Du
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Department of Cariology and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- School of Dentistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Arshia Bhojwani
- School of Dentistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jimmy K Hu
- School of Dentistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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38
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Kulwatno J, Gearhart J, Gong X, Herzog N, Getzin M, Skobe M, Mills KL. Growth of tumor emboli within a vessel model reveals dependence on the magnitude of mechanical constraint. Integr Biol (Camb) 2021; 13:1-16. [PMID: 33443535 DOI: 10.1093/intbio/zyaa024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Tumor emboli-aggregates of tumor cells within vessels-pose a clinical challenge as they are associated with increased metastasis and tumor recurrence. When growing within a vessel, tumor emboli are subject to a unique mechanical constraint provided by the tubular geometry of the vessel. Current models of tumor emboli use unconstrained multicellular tumor spheroids, which neglect this mechanical interplay. Here, we modeled a lymphatic vessel as a 200 μm-diameter channel in either a stiff or soft, bioinert agarose matrix to create a vessel-like constraint model (VLCM), and we modeled colon or breast cancer tumor emboli with aggregates of HCT116 or SUM149PT cells, respectively. The stiff matrix VLCM constrained the tumor emboli to the cylindrical channel, which led to continuous growth of the emboli, in contrast to the growth rate reduction that unconstrained spheroids exhibit. Emboli morphology in the soft matrix VLCM, however, was dependent on the magnitude of mechanical mismatch between the matrix and the cell aggregates. In general, when the elastic modulus of the matrix of the VLCM was greater than the emboli (EVLCM/Eemb > 1), the emboli were constrained to grow within the channel, and when the elastic modulus of the matrix was less than the emboli (0 < EVLCM/Eemb < 1), the emboli bulged into the matrix. Due to a large difference in myosin II expression between the cell lines, we hypothesized that tumor cell aggregate stiffness is an indicator of cellular force-generating capability. Inhibitors of myosin-related force generation decreased the elastic modulus and/or increased the stress relaxation of the tumor cell aggregates, effectively increasing the mechanical mismatch. The increased mechanical mismatch after drug treatment was correlated with increased confinement of tumor emboli growth along the channel, which may translate to increased tumor burden due to the increased tumor volume within the diffusion distance of nutrients and oxygen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Kulwatno
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA.,Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Jamie Gearhart
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA.,Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Xiangyu Gong
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA.,Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Nora Herzog
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA.,Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Matthew Getzin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA.,Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Mihaela Skobe
- Department of Oncological Sciences & Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kristen L Mills
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA.,Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
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39
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3D Bioprinting of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells and Their Tenogenic Differentiation in Clinical-Grade Medium. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21228694. [PMID: 33218011 PMCID: PMC7698777 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Defining the best combination of cells and biomaterials is a key challenge for the development of tendon tissue engineering (TE) strategies. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are ideal candidates for this purpose. In addition, controlled cell-based products adherent to good manufacturing practice (GMP) are required for their clinical scale-up. With this aim, in this study, ASC 3D bioprinting and GMP-compliant tenogenic differentiation were investigated. In detail, primary human ASCs were embedded within a nanofibrillar-cellulose/alginate bioink and 3D-bioprinted into multi-layered square-grid matrices. Bioink viscoelastic properties and scaffold ultrastructural morphology were analyzed by rheology and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The optimal cell concentration for printing among 3, 6 and 9 × 106 ASC/mL was evaluated in terms of cell viability. ASC morphology was characterized by SEM and F-actin immunostaining. Tenogenic differentiation ability was then evaluated in terms of cell viability, morphology and expression of scleraxis and collagen type III by biochemical induction using BMP-12, TGF-β3, CTGF and ascorbic acid supplementation (TENO). Pro-inflammatory cytokine release was also assessed. Bioprinted ASCs showed high viability and survival and exhibited a tenocyte-like phenotype after biochemical induction, with no inflammatory response to the bioink. In conclusion, we report a first proof of concept for the clinical scale-up of ASC 3D bioprinting for tendon TE.
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40
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Mechanical Coupling Coordinates the Co-elongation of Axial and Paraxial Tissues in Avian Embryos. Dev Cell 2020; 55:354-366.e5. [PMID: 32918876 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Tissues undergoing morphogenesis impose mechanical effects on one another. How developmental programs adapt to or take advantage of these effects remains poorly explored. Here, using a combination of live imaging, modeling, and microsurgical perturbations, we show that the axial and paraxial tissues in the forming avian embryonic body coordinate their rates of elongation through mechanical interactions. First, a cell motility gradient drives paraxial presomitic mesoderm (PSM) expansion, resulting in compression of the axial neural tube and notochord; second, elongation of axial tissues driven by PSM compression and polarized cell intercalation pushes the caudal progenitor domain posteriorly; finally, the axial push drives the lateral movement of midline PSM cells to maintain PSM growth and cell motility. These interactions form an engine-like positive feedback loop, which sustains a shared elongation rate for coupled tissues. Our results demonstrate a key role of inter-tissue forces in coordinating distinct body axis tissues during their co-elongation.
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Marrese M, Antonovaité N, Nelemans BKA, Ahmadzada A, Iannuzzi D, Smit TH. In vivo characterization of chick embryo mesoderm by optical coherence tomography-assisted microindentation. FASEB J 2020; 34:12269-12277. [PMID: 33411409 PMCID: PMC7497264 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202000896r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Embryos are growing organisms with highly heterogeneous properties in space and time. Understanding the mechanical properties is a crucial prerequisite for the investigation of morphogenesis. During the last 10 years, new techniques have been developed to evaluate the mechanical properties of biological tissues in vivo. To address this need, we employed a new instrument that, via the combination of micro‐indentation with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), allows us to determine both, the spatial distribution of mechanical properties of chick embryos, and the structural changes in real‐time. We report here the stiffness measurements on the live chicken embryo, from the mesenchymal tailbud to the epithelialized somites. The storage modulus of the mesoderm increases from (176 ± 18) Pa in the tail to (716 ± 117) Pa in the somitic region (mean ± SEM, n = 12). The midline has a mean storage modulus of (947 ± 111) Pa in the caudal (PSM) presomitic mesoderm (mean ± SEM, n = 12), indicating a stiff rod along the body axis, which thereby mechanically supports the surrounding tissue. The difference in stiffness between midline and presomitic mesoderm decreases as the mesoderm forms somites. This study provides an efficient method for the biomechanical characterization of soft biological tissues in vivo and shows that the mechanical properties strongly relate to different morphological features of the investigated regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marica Marrese
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Laser LaB Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nelda Antonovaité
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Laser LaB Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ben K A Nelemans
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Developmental Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ariana Ahmadzada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Laser LaB Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Davide Iannuzzi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Laser LaB Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Theodoor H Smit
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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42
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Wang X, Merkel M, Sutter LB, Erdemci-Tandogan G, Manning ML, Kasza KE. Anisotropy links cell shapes to tissue flow during convergent extension. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:13541-13551. [PMID: 32467168 PMCID: PMC7306759 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1916418117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Within developing embryos, tissues flow and reorganize dramatically on timescales as short as minutes. This includes epithelial tissues, which often narrow and elongate in convergent extension movements due to anisotropies in external forces or in internal cell-generated forces. However, the mechanisms that allow or prevent tissue reorganization, especially in the presence of strongly anisotropic forces, remain unclear. We study this question in the converging and extending Drosophila germband epithelium, which displays planar-polarized myosin II and experiences anisotropic forces from neighboring tissues. We show that, in contrast to isotropic tissues, cell shape alone is not sufficient to predict the onset of rapid cell rearrangement. From theoretical considerations and vertex model simulations, we predict that in anisotropic tissues, two experimentally accessible metrics of cell patterns-the cell shape index and a cell alignment index-are required to determine whether an anisotropic tissue is in a solid-like or fluid-like state. We show that changes in cell shape and alignment over time in the Drosophila germband predict the onset of rapid cell rearrangement in both wild-type and snail twist mutant embryos, where our theoretical prediction is further improved when we also account for cell packing disorder. These findings suggest that convergent extension is associated with a transition to more fluid-like tissue behavior, which may help accommodate tissue-shape changes during rapid developmental events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Matthias Merkel
- Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244
- BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244
- Centre de Physique Théorique (CPT), Turing Center for Living Systems, Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - Leo B Sutter
- Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244
- BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244
| | - Gonca Erdemci-Tandogan
- Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244
- BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244
| | - M Lisa Manning
- Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244
- BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244
| | - Karen E Kasza
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027;
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43
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Cerrone F, Pozner T, Siddiqui A, Ceppi P, Winner B, Rajendiran M, Babu R, Ibrahim HS, Rodriguez BJ, Winkler J, Murphy KJ, O'Connor KE. Polyhydroxyphenylvalerate/polycaprolactone nanofibers improve the life-span and mechanoresponse of human IPSC-derived cortical neuronal cells. MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING. C, MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS 2020; 111:110832. [DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2020.110832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Guillon E, Das D, Jülich D, Hassan AR, Geller H, Holley S. Fibronectin is a smart adhesive that both influences and responds to the mechanics of early spinal column development. eLife 2020; 9:48964. [PMID: 32228864 PMCID: PMC7108867 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
An extracellular matrix of Fibronectin adheres the neural tube to the two flanking columns of paraxial mesoderm and is required for normal vertebrate development. Here, we find that the bilaterally symmetric interfaces between the zebrafish neural tube and paraxial mesoderm function as optimally engineered adhesive lap joints with rounded edges, graded Fibronectin ‘adhesive’ and an arced adhesive spew filet. Fibronectin is a ‘smart adhesive’ that remodels to the lateral edges of the neural tube-paraxial mesoderm interfaces where shear stress is highest. Fibronectin remodeling is mechanically responsive to contralateral variation morphogenesis, and Fibronectin-mediated inter-tissue adhesion is required for bilaterally symmetric morphogenesis of the paraxial mesoderm. Strikingly, however, perturbation of the Fibronectin matrix rescues the neural tube convergence defect of cadherin 2 mutants. Therefore, Fibronectin-mediated inter-tissue adhesion dynamically coordinates bilaterally symmetric morphogenesis of the vertebrate trunk but predisposes the neural tube to convergence defects that lead to spina bifida. In embryos, the spinal cord starts out as a flat sheet of cells that curls up to form a closed cylinder called the neural tube. The folding tube is attached to the surrounding tissues through an extracellular matrix of proteins and sugars. Overlapping strands of a protein from the extracellular matrix called Fibronectin connect the neural tube to adjacent tissues, like a kind of biological glue. However, it remained unclear what effect this attachment had on the embryonic development of the spinal cord. Connecting two overlapping objects with glue to form what is known as an ‘adhesive lap joint’ is common in fields such as woodworking and aeronautical engineering. The glue in these joints comes under shearing stress whenever the two objects it connects try to pull apart. But, thanks to work in engineering, it is possible to predict how different joints will perform under tension. Now, Guillon et al. have deployed these engineering principles to shed light on neural tube development. Using zebrafish embryos and computational models, Guillon et al. investigated what happens when the strength of the adhesive lap joints in the developing spine changes. This revealed that Fibronectin works like a smart adhesive: rather than staying in one place like a conventional glue, it moves around. As the neural tube closes, cells remodel the Fibronectin, concentrating it on the areas under the highest stress. This seemed to both help and hinder neural tube development. On the one hand, by anchoring the tube equally to the left and right sides of the embryo, the Fibronectin glue helped the spine to develop symmetrically. On the other hand, the strength of the adhesive lap joints made it harder for the neural tube to curl up and close. If the neural tube fails to close properly, it can lead to birth defects like spina bifida. One of the best-known causes of these birth defects in humans is a lack of a vitamin known as folic acid. Cell culture experiments suggest that this might have something to do with the mechanics of the cells during development. It may be that faulty neural tubes could close more easily if they were able to unglue themselves from the surrounding tissues. Further use of engineering principles could shed more light on this idea in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Guillon
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, United States
| | - Dipjyoti Das
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, United States
| | - Dörthe Jülich
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, United States
| | - Abdel-Rahman Hassan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, United States
| | - Hannah Geller
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, United States
| | - Scott Holley
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, United States
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Tissue mechanics drives regeneration of a mucociliated epidermis on the surface of Xenopus embryonic aggregates. Nat Commun 2020; 11:665. [PMID: 32005801 PMCID: PMC6994656 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14385-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Injury, surgery, and disease often disrupt tissues and it is the process of regeneration that aids the restoration of architecture and function. Regeneration can occur through multiple strategies including stem cell expansion, transdifferentiation, or proliferation of differentiated cells. We have identified a case of regeneration in Xenopus embryonic aggregates that restores a mucociliated epithelium from mesenchymal cells. Following disruption of embryonic tissue architecture and assembly of a compact mesenchymal aggregate, regeneration first restores an epithelium, transitioning from mesenchymal cells at the surface of the aggregate. Cells establish apico-basal polarity within 5 hours and a mucociliated epithelium within 24 hours. Regeneration coincides with nuclear translocation of the putative mechanotransducer YAP1 and a sharp increase in aggregate stiffness, and regeneration can be controlled by altering stiffness. We propose that regeneration of a mucociliated epithelium occurs in response to biophysical cues sensed by newly exposed cells on the surface of a disrupted mesenchymal tissue.
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46
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Abstract
This review is a comprehensive analysis of the cell biology and biomechanics of Convergent Extension in Xenopus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ray Keller
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States.
| | - Ann Sutherland
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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47
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Urbanczyk M, Layland SL, Schenke-Layland K. The role of extracellular matrix in biomechanics and its impact on bioengineering of cells and 3D tissues. Matrix Biol 2019; 85-86:1-14. [PMID: 31805360 DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2019.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Revised: 11/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The cells and tissues of the human body are constantly exposed to exogenous and endogenous forces that are referred to as biomechanical cues. They guide and impact cellular processes and cell fate decisions on the nano-, micro- and macro-scale, and are therefore critical for normal tissue development and maintaining tissue homeostasis. Alterations in the extracellular matrix composition of a tissue combined with abnormal mechanosensing and mechanotransduction can aberrantly activate signaling pathways that promote disease development. Such processes are therefore highly relevant for disease modelling or when aiming for the development of novel therapies. In this mini review, we describe the main biomechanical cues that impact cellular fates. We highlight their role during development, homeostasis and in disease. We also discuss current techniques and tools that allow us to study the impact of biomechanical cues on cell and tissue development under physiological conditions, and we point out directions, in which in vitro biomechanics can be of use in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Urbanczyk
- Department of Women's Health, Research Institute of Women's Health, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Germany
| | - Shannon L Layland
- Department of Women's Health, Research Institute of Women's Health, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katja Schenke-Layland
- Department of Women's Health, Research Institute of Women's Health, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Germany; Natural and Medical Sciences Institute (NMI) at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence IFIT (EXC 2180), "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Germany; Dept. of Medicine/Cardiology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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48
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Mongera A, Michaut A, Guillot C, Xiong F, Pourquié O. Mechanics of Anteroposterior Axis Formation in Vertebrates. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2019; 35:259-283. [PMID: 31412208 PMCID: PMC7394480 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-100818-125436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate anteroposterior axis forms through elongation of multiple tissues during embryogenesis. This process is based on tissue-autonomous mechanisms of force generation and intertissue mechanical coupling whose failure leads to severe developmental anomalies such as body truncation and spina bifida. Similar to other morphogenetic modules, anteroposterior body extension requires both the rearrangement of existing materials-such as cells and extracellular matrix-and the local addition of new materials, i.e., anisotropic growth, through cell proliferation, cell growth, and matrix deposition. Numerous signaling pathways coordinate body axis formation via regulation of cell behavior during tissue rearrangements and/or volumetric growth. From a physical perspective, morphogenesis depends on both cell-generated forces and tissue material properties. As the spatiotemporal variation of these mechanical parameters has recently been explored in the context of vertebrate body elongation, the study of this process is likely to shed light on the cross talk between signaling and mechanics during morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Mongera
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, and Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA;
| | - Arthur Michaut
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, and Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA;
| | - Charlène Guillot
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, and Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA;
| | - Fengzhu Xiong
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, and Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA;
| | - Olivier Pourquié
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, and Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA;
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
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49
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Marrese M, Antonovaite N, Nelemans BK, Smit TH, Iannuzzi D. Micro-indentation and optical coherence tomography for the mechanical characterization of embryos: Experimental setup and measurements on chicken embryos. Acta Biomater 2019; 97:524-534. [PMID: 31377425 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2019.07.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The investigation of the mechanical properties of embryos is expected to provide valuable information on the phenomenology of morphogenesis. It is thus believed that, by mapping the viscoelastic features of an embryo at different stages of growth, it may be possible to shed light on the role of mechanics in embryonic development. To contribute to this field, we present a new instrument that can determine spatiotemporal distributions of mechanical properties of embryos over a wide area and with unprecedented accuracy. The method relies on combining ferrule-top micro-indentation, which provides local measurements of viscoelasticity, with Optical Coherence Tomography, which can reveal changes in tissue morphology and help the user identify the indentation point. To prove the working principle, we have collected viscoelasticity maps of fixed and live HH11-HH12 chicken embryos. Our study shows that the instrument can reveal correlations between tissue morphology and mechanical behavior. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Local mechanical properties of soft biological tissue play a crucial role in several biological processes, including cell differentiation, cell migration, and body formation; therefore, measuring tissue properties at high resolution is of great interest in biology and tissue engineering. To provide an efficient method for the biomechanical characterization of soft biological tissues, we introduce a new tool in which the combination of non-invasive Optical Coherence Tomography imaging and depth-controlled indentation measurements allows one to map the viscoelastic properties of biological tissue and investigate correlations between local mechanical features and tissue morphology with unprecedented resolution.
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50
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Ayad NME, Kaushik S, Weaver VM. Tissue mechanics, an important regulator of development and disease. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180215. [PMID: 31431174 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing body of work describes how physical forces in and around cells affect their growth, proliferation, migration, function and differentiation into specialized types. How cells receive and respond biochemically to mechanical signals is a process termed mechanotransduction. Disease may arise if a disruption occurs within this mechanism of sensing and interpreting mechanics. Cancer, cardiovascular diseases and developmental defects, such as during the process of neural tube formation, are linked to changes in cell and tissue mechanics. A breakdown in normal tissue and cellular forces activates mechanosignalling pathways that affect their function and can promote disease progression. The recent advent of high-resolution techniques enables quantitative measurements of mechanical properties of the cell and its extracellular matrix, providing insight into how mechanotransduction is regulated. In this review, we will address the standard methods and new technologies available to properly measure mechanical properties, highlighting the challenges and limitations of probing different length-scales. We will focus on the unique environment present throughout the development and maintenance of the central nervous system and discuss cases where disease, such as brain cancer, arises in response to changes in the mechanical properties of the microenvironment that disrupt homeostasis. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Forces in cancer: interdisciplinary approaches in tumour mechanobiology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia M E Ayad
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,UC Berkeley-UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Shelly Kaushik
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Valerie M Weaver
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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