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Ray T, Shi D, Harris TJC. Confinement promotes nematic alignment of spindle-shaped cells during Drosophila embryogenesis. Development 2024; 151:dev202577. [PMID: 38864272 PMCID: PMC11234378 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202577] [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: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Tissue morphogenesis is often controlled by actomyosin networks pulling on adherens junctions (AJs), but junctional myosin levels vary. At an extreme, the Drosophila embryo amnioserosa forms a horseshoe-shaped strip of aligned, spindle-shaped cells lacking junctional myosin. What are the bases of amnioserosal cell interactions and alignment? Compared with surrounding tissue, we find that amnioserosal AJ continuity has lesser dependence on α-catenin, the mediator of AJ-actomyosin association, and greater dependence on Bazooka/Par-3, a junction-associated scaffold protein. Microtubule bundles also run along amnioserosal AJs and support their long-range curvilinearity. Amnioserosal confinement is apparent from partial overlap of its spindle-shaped cells, its outward bulging from surrounding tissue and from compressive stress detected within the amnioserosa. Genetic manipulations that alter amnioserosal confinement by surrounding tissue also result in amnioserosal cells losing alignment and gaining topological defects characteristic of nematically ordered systems. With Bazooka depletion, confinement by surrounding tissue appears to be relatively normal and amnioserosal cells align despite their AJ fragmentation. Overall, the fully elongated amnioserosa appears to form through tissue-autonomous generation of spindle-shaped cells that nematically align in response to confinement by surrounding tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tirthankar Ray
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Damo Shi
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Tony J. C. Harris
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
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Yu P, Li Y, Fang W, Feng XQ, Li B. Mechanochemical dynamics of collective cells and hierarchical topological defects in multicellular lumens. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn0172. [PMID: 38691595 PMCID: PMC11062584 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn0172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Collective cell dynamics is essential for tissue morphogenesis and various biological functions. However, it remains incompletely understood how mechanical forces and chemical signaling are integrated to direct collective cell behaviors underlying tissue morphogenesis. Here, we propose a three-dimensional (3D) mechanochemical theory accounting for biochemical reaction-diffusion and cellular mechanotransduction to investigate the dynamics of multicellular lumens. We show that the interplay between biochemical signaling and mechanics can trigger either pitchfork or Hopf bifurcation to induce diverse static mechanochemical patterns or generate oscillations with multiple modes both involving marked mechanical deformations in lumens. We uncover the crucial role of mechanochemical feedback in emerging morphodynamics and identify the evolution and morphogenetic functions of hierarchical topological defects including cell-level hexatic defects and tissue-level orientational defects. Our theory captures the common mechanochemical traits of collective dynamics observed in experiments and could provide a mechanistic context for understanding morphological symmetry breaking in 3D lumen-like tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengyu Yu
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yue Li
- Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei Fang
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xi-Qiao Feng
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Bo Li
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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Li ZY, Chen YP, Liu HY, Li B. Three-Dimensional Chiral Morphogenesis of Active Fluids. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2024; 132:138401. [PMID: 38613297 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.132.138401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Chirality is an essential nature of biological systems. However, it remains obscure how the handedness at the microscale is translated into chiral morphogenesis at the tissue level. Here, we investigate three-dimensional (3D) tissue morphogenesis using an active fluid theory invoking chirality. We show that the coordination of achiral and chiral stresses, arising from microscopic interactions and energy input of individual cells, can engender the self-organization of 3D papillary and helical structures. The achiral active stress drives the nucleation of asterlike topological defects, which initiate 3D out-of-plane budding, followed by rodlike elongation. The chiral active stress excites vortexlike topological defects, which favor the tip spheroidization and twisting of the elongated rod. These results unravel the chiral morphogenesis observed in our experiments of 3D organoids generated by human embryonic stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Yi Li
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yun-Ping Chen
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hao-Yu Liu
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Bo Li
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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Livne G, Gat S, Armon S, Bernheim-Groswasser A. Self-assembled active actomyosin gels spontaneously curve and wrinkle similar to biological cells and tissues. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2309125121. [PMID: 38175871 PMCID: PMC10786314 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309125121] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Living systems adopt a diversity of curved and highly dynamic shapes. These diverse morphologies appear on many length scales, from cells to tissues and organismal scales. The common driving force for these dynamic shape changes are contractile stresses generated by myosin motors in the cell cytoskeleton, that converts chemical energy into mechanical work. A good understanding of how contractile stresses in the cytoskeleton arise into different three-dimensional (3D) shapes and what are the shape selection rules that determine their final configurations is still lacking. To obtain insight into the relevant physical mechanisms, we recreate the actomyosin cytoskeleton in vitro, with precisely controlled composition and initial geometry. A set of actomyosin gel discs, intrinsically identical but of variable initial geometry, dynamically self-organize into a family of 3D shapes, such as domes and wrinkled shapes, without the need for specific preprogramming or additional regulation. Shape deformation is driven by the spontaneous emergence of stress gradients driven by myosin and is encoded in the initial disc radius to thickness aspect ratio, which may indicate shaping scalability. Our results suggest that while the dynamical pathways may depend on the detailed interactions between the different microscopic components within the gel, the final selected shapes obey the general theory of elastic deformations of thin sheets. Altogether, our results emphasize the importance for the emergence of active stress gradients for buckling-driven shape deformations and provide insights on the mechanically induced spontaneous shape transitions in contractile active matter, revealing potential shared mechanisms with living systems across scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gefen Livne
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva84105, Israel
| | - Shachar Gat
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva84105, Israel
| | - Shahaf Armon
- Department of Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot76100, Israel
| | - Anne Bernheim-Groswasser
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva84105, Israel
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Wang R, Bialas AL, Goel T, Collins EMS. Mechano-Chemical Coupling in Hydra Regeneration and Patterning. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:1422-1441. [PMID: 37339912 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The freshwater cnidarian Hydra can regenerate from wounds, small tissue fragments and even from aggregated cells. This process requires the de novo development of a body axis and oral-aboral polarity, a fundamental developmental process that involves chemical patterning and mechanical shape changes. Gierer and Meinhardt recognized that Hydra's simple body plan and amenability to in vivo experiments make it an experimentally and mathematically tractable model to study developmental patterning and symmetry breaking. They developed a reaction-diffusion model, involving a short-range activator and a long-range inhibitor, which successfully explained patterning in the adult animal. In 2011, HyWnt3 was identified as a candidate for the activator. However, despite the continued efforts of both physicists and biologists, the predicted inhibitor remains elusive. Furthermore, the Gierer-Meinhardt model cannot explain de novo axis formation in cellular aggregates that lack inherited tissue polarity. The aim of this review is to synthesize the current knowledge on Hydra symmetry breaking and patterning. We summarize the history of patterning studies and insights from recent biomechanical and molecular studies, and highlight the need for continued validation of theoretical assumptions and collaboration across disciplinary boundaries. We conclude by proposing new experiments to test current mechano-chemical coupling models and suggest ideas for expanding the Gierer-Meinhardt model to explain de novo patterning, as observed in Hydra aggregates. The availability of a fully sequenced genome, transgenic fluorescent reporter strains, and modern imaging techniques, that enable unprecedented observation of cellular events in vivo, promise to allow the community to crack Hydra's secret to patterning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, 92093 CA, USA
| | - April L Bialas
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, 500 College Ave, Swarthmore, 19081 PA, USA
| | - Tapan Goel
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 30332 GA, USA
- Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, 92093 CA, USA
| | - Eva-Maria S Collins
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, 500 College Ave, Swarthmore, 19081 PA, USA
- Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, 92093 CA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 19104 PA, USA
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Dedenon M, Dessalles CA, Guillamat P, Roux A, Kruse K, Blanch-Mercader C. Density-Polarity Coupling in Confined Active Polar Films: Asters, Spirals, and Biphasic Orientational Phases. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 131:268301. [PMID: 38215373 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.131.268301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Topological defects in active polar fluids can organize spontaneous flows and influence macroscopic density patterns. Both of them play an important role during animal development. Yet the influence of density on active flows is poorly understood. Motivated by experiments on cell monolayers confined to disks, we study the coupling between density and polar order for a compressible active polar fluid in the presence of a +1 topological defect. As in the experiments, we find a density-controlled spiral-to-aster transition. In addition, biphasic orientational phases emerge as a generic outcome of such coupling. Our results highlight the importance of density gradients as a potential mechanism for controlling flow and orientational patterns in biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Dedenon
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Claire A Dessalles
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pau Guillamat
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aurélien Roux
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Karsten Kruse
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Carles Blanch-Mercader
- Laboratoire Physico-Chimie Curie, CNRS UMR168, Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, 75005, Paris, France
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