TY - JOUR AB - Metazoan development relies on the formation and remodeling of cell-cell contacts. Dynamic reorganization of adhesion receptors and the actomyosin cell cortex in space and time plays a central role in cell-cell contact formation and maturation. Nevertheless, how this process is mechanistically achieved when new contacts are formed remains unclear. Here, by building a biomimetic assay composed of progenitor cells adhering to supported lipid bilayers functionalized with E-cadherin ectodomains, we show that cortical F-actin flows, driven by the depletion of myosin-2 at the cell contact center, mediate the dynamic reorganization of adhesion receptors and cell cortex at the contact. E-cadherin-dependent downregulation of the small GTPase RhoA at the forming contact leads to both a depletion of myosin-2 and a decrease of F-actin at the contact center. At the contact rim, in contrast, myosin-2 becomes enriched by the retraction of bleb-like protrusions, resulting in a cortical tension gradient from the contact rim to its center. This tension gradient, in turn, triggers centrifugal F-actin flows, leading to further accumulation of F-actin at the contact rim and the progressive redistribution of E-cadherin from the contact center to the rim. Eventually, this combination of actomyosin downregulation and flows at the contact determines the characteristic molecular organization, with E-cadherin and F-actin accumulating at the contact rim, where they are needed to mechanically link the contractile cortices of the adhering cells. AU - Arslan, Feyza N AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Merrin, Jack AU - Loose, Martin AU - Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp J ID - 14795 IS - 1 JF - Current Biology SN - 0960-9822 TI - Adhesion-induced cortical flows pattern E-cadherin-mediated cell contacts VL - 34 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Electrostatic correlations between ions dissolved in water are known to impact their transport properties in numerous ways, from conductivity to ion selectivity. The effects of these correlations on the solvent itself remain, however, much less clear. In particular, the addition of salt has been consistently reported to affect the solution’s viscosity, but most modeling attempts fail to reproduce experimental data even at moderate salt concentrations. Here, we use an approach based on stochastic density functional theory, which accurately captures charge fluctuations and correlations. We derive a simple analytical expression for the viscosity correction in concentrated electrolytes, by directly linking it to the liquid’s structure factor. Our prediction compares quantitatively to experimental data at all temperatures and all salt concentrations up to the saturation limit. This universal link between the microscopic structure and viscosity allows us to shed light on the nanoscale dynamics of water and ions under highly concentrated and correlated conditions. AU - Robin, Paul ID - 15024 IS - 6 JF - Journal of Chemical Physics SN - 0021-9606 TI - Correlation-induced viscous dissipation in concentrated electrolytes VL - 160 ER - TY - CHAP AB - The mammary gland consists of a bilayered epithelial structure with an extensively branched morphology. The majority of this epithelial tree is laid down during puberty, during which actively proliferating terminal end buds repeatedly elongate and bifurcate to form the basic structure of the ductal tree. Mammary ducts consist of a basal and luminal cell layer with a multitude of identified sub-lineages within both layers. The understanding of how these different cell lineages are cooperatively driving branching morphogenesis is a problem of crossing multiple scales, as this requires information on the macroscopic branched structure of the gland, as well as data on single-cell dynamics driving the morphogenic program. Here we describe a method to combine genetic lineage tracing with whole-gland branching analysis. Quantitative data on the global organ structure can be used to derive a model for mammary gland branching morphogenesis and provide a backbone on which the dynamics of individual cell lineages can be simulated and compared to lineage-tracing approaches. Eventually, these quantitative models and experiments allow to understand the couplings between the macroscopic shape of the mammary gland and the underlying single-cell dynamics driving branching morphogenesis. AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Scheele, Colinda L.G.J. ED - Margadant, Coert ID - 12428 SN - 9781071628867 T2 - Cell Migration in Three Dimensions TI - A Guide Toward Multi-scale and Quantitative Branching Analysis in the Mammary Gland VL - 2608 ER - TY - JOUR AB - The multicellular organization of diverse systems, including embryos, intestines, and tumors relies on coordinated cell migration in curved environments. In these settings, cells establish supracellular patterns of motion, including collective rotation and invasion. While such collective modes have been studied extensively in flat systems, the consequences of geometrical and topological constraints on collective migration in curved systems are largely unknown. Here, we discover a collective mode of cell migration in rotating spherical tissues manifesting as a propagating single-wavelength velocity wave. This wave is accompanied by an apparently incompressible supracellular flow pattern featuring topological defects as dictated by the spherical topology. Using a minimal active particle model, we reveal that this collective mode arises from the effect of curvature on the active flocking behavior of a cell layer confined to a spherical surface. Our results thus identify curvature-induced velocity waves as a mode of collective cell migration, impacting the dynamical organization of 3D curved tissues. AU - Brandstätter, Tom AU - Brückner, David AU - Han, Yu Long AU - Alert, Ricard AU - Guo, Ming AU - Broedersz, Chase P. ID - 12818 JF - Nature Communications TI - Curvature induces active velocity waves in rotating spherical tissues VL - 14 ER - TY - THES AB - Pattern formation is of great importance for its contribution across different biological behaviours. During developmental processes for example, patterns of chemical gradients are established to determine cell fate and complex tissue patterns emerge to define structures such as limbs and vascular networks. Patterns are also seen in collectively migrating groups, for instance traveling waves of density emerging in moving animal flocks as well as collectively migrating cells and tissues. To what extent these biological patterns arise spontaneously through the local interaction of individual constituents or are dictated by higher level instructions is still an open question however there is evidence for the involvement of both types of process. Where patterns arise spontaneously there is a long standing interest in how far the interplay of mechanics, e.g. force generation and deformation, and chemistry, e.g. gene regulation and signaling, contributes to the behaviour. This is because many systems are able to both chemically regulate mechanical force production and chemically sense mechanical deformation, forming mechano-chemical feedback loops which can potentially become unstable towards spatio and/or temporal patterning. We work with experimental collaborators to investigate the possibility that this type of interaction drives pattern formation in biological systems at different scales. We focus first on tissue-level ERK-density waves observed during the wound healing response across different systems where many previous studies have proposed that patterns depend on polarized cell migration and arise from a mechanical flocking-like mechanism. By combining theory with mechanical and optogenetic perturbation experiments on in vitro monolayers we instead find evidence for mechanochemical pattern formation involving only scalar bilateral feedbacks between ERK signaling and cell contraction. We perform further modeling and experiment to study how this instability couples with polar cell migration in order to produce a robust and efficient wound healing response. In a following chapter we implement ERK-density coupling and cell migration in a 2D active vertex model to investigate the interaction of ERK-density patterning with different tissue rheologies and find that the spatio-temporal dynamics are able to both locally and globally fluidize a tissue across the solid-fluid glass transition. In a last chapter we move towards lower spatial scales in the context of subcellular patterning of the cell cytoskeleton where we investigate the transition between phases of spatially homogeneous temporal oscillations and chaotic spatio-temporal patterning in the dynamics of myosin and ROCK activities (a motor component of the actomyosin cytoskeleton and its activator). Experimental evidence supports an intrinsic chemical oscillator which we encode in a reaction model and couple to a contractile active gel description of the cell cortex. The model exhibits phases of chemical oscillations and contractile spatial patterning which reproduce many features of the dynamics seen in Drosophila oocyte epithelia in vivo. However, additional pharmacological perturbations to inhibit myosin contractility leaves the role of contractile instability unclear. We discuss alternative hypotheses and investigate the possibility of reaction-diffusion instability. AU - Boocock, Daniel R ID - 12964 SN - 2663-337X TI - Mechanochemical pattern formation across biological scales ER - TY - JOUR AB - Living tissues are characterized by an intrinsically mechanochemical interplay of active physical forces and complex biochemical signaling pathways. Either feature alone can give rise to complex emergent phenomena, for example, mechanically driven glassy dynamics and rigidity transitions, or chemically driven reaction-diffusion instabilities. An important question is how to quantitatively assess the contribution of these different cues to the large-scale dynamics of biological materials. We address this in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) monolayers, considering both mechanochemical feedback between extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling activity and cellular density as well as a mechanically active tissue rheology via a self-propelled vertex model. We show that the relative strength of active migration forces to mechanochemical couplings controls a transition from a uniform active glass to periodic spatiotemporal waves. We parametrize the model from published experimental data sets on MDCK monolayers and use it to make new predictions on the correlation functions of cellular dynamics and the dynamics of topological defects associated with the oscillatory phase of cells. Interestingly, MDCK monolayers are best described by an intermediary parameter region in which both mechanochemical couplings and noisy active propulsion have a strong influence on the dynamics. Finally, we study how tissue rheology and ERK waves produce feedback on one another and uncover a mechanism via which tissue fluidity can be controlled by mechanochemical waves at both the local and global levels. AU - Boocock, Daniel R AU - Hirashima, Tsuyoshi AU - Hannezo, Edouard B ID - 14277 IS - 1 JF - PRX Life SN - 2835-8279 TI - Interplay between mechanochemical patterning and glassy dynamics in cellular monolayers VL - 1 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Surface curvature both emerges from, and influences the behavior of, living objects at length scales ranging from cell membranes to single cells to tissues and organs. The relevance of surface curvature in biology is supported by numerous experimental and theoretical investigations in recent years. In this review, first, a brief introduction to the key ideas of surface curvature in the context of biological systems is given and the challenges that arise when measuring surface curvature are discussed. Giving an overview of the emergence of curvature in biological systems, its significance at different length scales becomes apparent. On the other hand, summarizing current findings also shows that both single cells and entire cell sheets, tissues or organisms respond to curvature by modulating their shape and their migration behavior. Finally, the interplay between the distribution of morphogens or micro-organisms and the emergence of curvature across length scales is addressed with examples demonstrating these key mechanistic principles of morphogenesis. Overall, this review highlights that curved interfaces are not merely a passive by-product of the chemical, biological, and mechanical processes but that curvature acts also as a signal that co-determines these processes. AU - Schamberger, Barbara AU - Ziege, Ricardo AU - Anselme, Karine AU - Ben Amar, Martine AU - Bykowski, Michał AU - Castro, André P.G. AU - Cipitria, Amaia AU - Coles, Rhoslyn A. AU - Dimova, Rumiana AU - Eder, Michaela AU - Ehrig, Sebastian AU - Escudero, Luis M. AU - Evans, Myfanwy E. AU - Fernandes, Paulo R. AU - Fratzl, Peter AU - Geris, Liesbet AU - Gierlinger, Notburga AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Iglič, Aleš AU - Kirkensgaard, Jacob J.K. AU - Kollmannsberger, Philip AU - Kowalewska, Łucja AU - Kurniawan, Nicholas A. AU - Papantoniou, Ioannis AU - Pieuchot, Laurent AU - Pires, Tiago H.V. AU - Renner, Lars D. AU - Sageman-Furnas, Andrew O. AU - Schröder-Turk, Gerd E. AU - Sengupta, Anupam AU - Sharma, Vikas R. AU - Tagua, Antonio AU - Tomba, Caterina AU - Trepat, Xavier AU - Waters, Sarah L. AU - Yeo, Edwina F. AU - Roschger, Andreas AU - Bidan, Cécile M. AU - Dunlop, John W.C. ID - 12710 IS - 13 JF - Advanced Materials SN - 0935-9648 TI - Curvature in biological systems: Its quantification, emergence, and implications across the scales VL - 35 ER - TY - GEN AB - The zip file includes source data used in the manuscript "CCR7 acts as both a sensor and a sink for CCL19 to coordinate collective leukocyte migration", as well as a representative Jupyter notebook to reproduce the main figures. Please see the preprint on bioRxiv and the DOI link there to access the final published version. Note the title change between the preprint and the published manuscript. A sample script for particle-based simulations of collective chemotaxis by self-generated gradients is also included (see Self-generated_chemotaxis_sample_script.ipynb) to generate exemplary cell trajectories. A detailed description of the simulation setup is provided in the supplementary information of the manuscipt. AU - Ucar, Mehmet C ID - 14279 TI - Source data for the manuscript "CCR7 acts as both a sensor and a sink for CCL19 to coordinate collective leukocyte migration" ER - TY - JOUR AB - 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. AU - Bocanegra, Laura AU - Singh, Amrita AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Zagórski, Marcin P AU - Kicheva, Anna ID - 12837 JF - Nature Physics SN - 1745-2473 TI - Cell cycle dynamics control fluidity of the developing mouse neuroepithelium VL - 19 ER - TY - JOUR AB - To meet the physiological demands of the body, organs need to establish a functional tissue architecture and adequate size as the embryo develops to adulthood. In the liver, uni- and bipotent progenitor differentiation into hepatocytes and biliary epithelial cells (BECs), and their relative proportions, comprise the functional architecture. Yet, the contribution of individual liver progenitors at the organ level to both fates, and their specific proportion, is unresolved. Combining mathematical modelling with organ-wide, multispectral FRaeppli-NLS lineage tracing in zebrafish, we demonstrate that a precise BEC-to-hepatocyte ratio is established (i) fast, (ii) solely by heterogeneous lineage decisions from uni- and bipotent progenitors, and (iii) independent of subsequent cell type–specific proliferation. Extending lineage tracing to adulthood determined that embryonic cells undergo spatially heterogeneous three-dimensional growth associated with distinct environments. Strikingly, giant clusters comprising almost half a ventral lobe suggest lobe-specific dominant-like growth behaviours. We show substantial hepatocyte polyploidy in juveniles representing another hallmark of postembryonic liver growth. Our findings uncover heterogeneous progenitor contributions to tissue architecture-defining cell type proportions and postembryonic organ growth as key mechanisms forming the adult liver. AU - Unterweger, Iris A. AU - Klepstad, Julie AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Lundegaard, Pia R. AU - Trusina, Ala AU - Ober, Elke A. ID - 14426 IS - 10 JF - PLoS Biology TI - Lineage tracing identifies heterogeneous hepatoblast contribution to cell lineages and postembryonic organ growth dynamics VL - 21 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Chromosomes in the eukaryotic nucleus are highly compacted. However, for many functional processes, including transcription initiation, the pairwise motion of distal chromosomal elements such as enhancers and promoters is essential and necessitates dynamic fluidity. Here, we used a live-imaging assay to simultaneously measure the positions of pairs of enhancers and promoters and their transcriptional output while systematically varying the genomic separation between these two DNA loci. Our analysis reveals the coexistence of a compact globular organization and fast subdiffusive dynamics. These combined features cause an anomalous scaling of polymer relaxation times with genomic separation leading to long-ranged correlations. Thus, encounter times of DNA loci are much less dependent on genomic distance than predicted by existing polymer models, with potential consequences for eukaryotic gene expression. AU - Brückner, David AU - Chen, Hongtao AU - Barinov, Lev AU - Zoller, Benjamin AU - Gregor, Thomas ID - 13261 IS - 6652 JF - Science TI - Stochastic motion and transcriptional dynamics of pairs of distal DNA loci on a compacted chromosome VL - 380 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Branching morphogenesis is a ubiquitous process that gives rise to high exchange surfaces in the vasculature and epithelial organs. Lymphatic capillaries form branched networks, which play a key role in the circulation of tissue fluid and immune cells. Although mouse models and correlative patient data indicate that the lymphatic capillary density directly correlates with functional output, i.e., tissue fluid drainage and trafficking efficiency of dendritic cells, the mechanisms ensuring efficient tissue coverage remain poorly understood. Here, we use the mouse ear pinna lymphatic vessel network as a model system and combine lineage-tracing, genetic perturbations, whole-organ reconstructions and theoretical modeling to show that the dermal lymphatic capillaries tile space in an optimal, space-filling manner. This coverage is achieved by two complementary mechanisms: initial tissue invasion provides a non-optimal global scaffold via self-organized branching morphogenesis, while VEGF-C dependent side-branching from existing capillaries rapidly optimizes local coverage by directionally targeting low-density regions. With these two ingredients, we show that a minimal biophysical model can reproduce quantitatively whole-network reconstructions, across development and perturbations. Our results show that lymphatic capillary networks can exploit local self-organizing mechanisms to achieve tissue-scale optimization. AU - Ucar, Mehmet C AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Tiilikainen, Emmi AU - Liaqat, Inam AU - Jakobsson, Emma AU - Nurmi, Harri AU - Vaahtomeri, Kari ID - 14378 JF - Nature Communications TI - Self-organized and directed branching results in optimal coverage in developing dermal lymphatic networks VL - 14 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Immune responses rely on the rapid and coordinated migration of leukocytes. Whereas it is well established that single-cell migration is often guided by gradients of chemokines and other chemoattractants, it remains poorly understood how these gradients are generated, maintained, and modulated. By combining experimental data with theory on leukocyte chemotaxis guided by the G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) CCR7, we demonstrate that in addition to its role as the sensory receptor that steers migration, CCR7 also acts as a generator and a modulator of chemotactic gradients. Upon exposure to the CCR7 ligand CCL19, dendritic cells (DCs) effectively internalize the receptor and ligand as part of the canonical GPCR desensitization response. We show that CCR7 internalization also acts as an effective sink for the chemoattractant, dynamically shaping the spatiotemporal distribution of the chemokine. This mechanism drives complex collective migration patterns, enabling DCs to create or sharpen chemotactic gradients. We further show that these self-generated gradients can sustain the long-range guidance of DCs, adapt collective migration patterns to the size and geometry of the environment, and provide a guidance cue for other comigrating cells. Such a dual role of CCR7 as a GPCR that both senses and consumes its ligand can thus provide a novel mode of cellular self-organization. AU - Alanko, Jonna H AU - Ucar, Mehmet C AU - Canigova, Nikola AU - Stopp, Julian A AU - Schwarz, Jan AU - Merrin, Jack AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Sixt, Michael K ID - 14274 IS - 87 JF - Science Immunology KW - General Medicine KW - Immunology SN - 2470-9468 TI - CCR7 acts as both a sensor and a sink for CCL19 to coordinate collective leukocyte migration VL - 8 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Homeostatic balance in the intestinal epithelium relies on a fast cellular turnover, which is coordinated by an intricate interplay between biochemical signalling, mechanical forces and organ geometry. We review recent modelling approaches that have been developed to understand different facets of this remarkable homeostatic equilibrium. Existing models offer different, albeit complementary, perspectives on the problem. First, biomechanical models aim to explain the local and global mechanical stresses driving cell renewal as well as tissue shape maintenance. Second, compartmental models provide insights into the conditions necessary to keep a constant flow of cells with well-defined ratios of cell types, and how perturbations can lead to an unbalance of relative compartment sizes. A third family of models address, at the cellular level, the nature and regulation of stem fate choices that are necessary to fuel cellular turnover. We also review how these different approaches are starting to be integrated together across scales, to provide quantitative predictions and new conceptual frameworks to think about the dynamics of cell renewal in complex tissues. AU - Corominas-Murtra, Bernat AU - Hannezo, Edouard B ID - 12162 JF - Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology KW - Cell Biology KW - Developmental Biology SN - 1084-9521 TI - Modelling the dynamics of mammalian gut homeostasis VL - 150-151 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Understanding complex living systems, which are fundamentally constrained by physical phenomena, requires combining experimental data with theoretical physical and mathematical models. To develop such models, collaborations between experimental cell biologists and theoreticians are increasingly important but these two groups often face challenges achieving mutual understanding. To help navigate these challenges, this Perspective discusses different modelling approaches, including bottom-up hypothesis-driven and top-down data-driven models, and highlights their strengths and applications. Using cell mechanics as an example, we explore the integration of specific physical models with experimental data from the molecular, cellular and tissue level up to multiscale input. We also emphasize the importance of constraining model complexity and outline strategies for crosstalk between experimental design and model development. Furthermore, we highlight how physical models can provide conceptual insights and produce unifying and generalizable frameworks for biological phenomena. Overall, this Perspective aims to promote fruitful collaborations that advance our understanding of complex biological systems. AU - Schwayer, Cornelia AU - Brückner, David ID - 14827 IS - 24 JF - Journal of Cell Science KW - Cell Biology SN - 0021-9533 TI - Connecting theory and experiment in cell and tissue mechanics VL - 136 ER - TY - JOUR AB - When in equilibrium, thermal forces agitate molecules, which then diffuse, collide and bind to form materials. However, the space of accessible structures in which micron-scale particles can be organized by thermal forces is limited, owing to the slow dynamics and metastable states. Active agents in a passive fluid generate forces and flows, forming a bath with active fluctuations. Two unanswered questions are whether those active agents can drive the assembly of passive components into unconventional states and which material properties they will exhibit. Here we show that passive, sticky beads immersed in a bath of swimming Escherichia coli bacteria aggregate into unconventional clusters and gels that are controlled by the activity of the bath. We observe a slow but persistent rotation of the aggregates that originates in the chirality of the E. coli flagella and directs aggregation into structures that are not accessible thermally. We elucidate the aggregation mechanism with a numerical model of spinning, sticky beads and reproduce quantitatively the experimental results. We show that internal activity controls the phase diagram and the structure of the aggregates. Overall, our results highlight the promising role of active baths in designing the structural and mechanical properties of materials with unconventional phases. AU - Grober, Daniel AU - Palaia, Ivan AU - Ucar, Mehmet C AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Šarić, Anđela AU - Palacci, Jérémie A ID - 13971 JF - Nature Physics SN - 1745-2473 TI - Unconventional colloidal aggregation in chiral bacterial baths VL - 19 ER - TY - JOUR AB - The emergence of large-scale order in self-organized systems relies on local interactions between individual components. During bacterial cell division, FtsZ—a prokaryotic homologue of the eukaryotic protein tubulin—polymerizes into treadmilling filaments that further organize into a cytoskeletal ring. In vitro, FtsZ filaments can form dynamic chiral assemblies. However, how the active and passive properties of individual filaments relate to these large-scale self-organized structures remains poorly understood. Here we connect single-filament properties with the mesoscopic scale by combining minimal active matter simulations and biochemical reconstitution experiments. We show that the density and flexibility of active chiral filaments define their global order. At intermediate densities, curved, flexible filaments organize into chiral rings and polar bands. An effectively nematic organization dominates for high densities and for straight, mutant filaments with increased rigidity. Our predicted phase diagram quantitatively captures these features, demonstrating how the flexibility, density and chirality of the active filaments affect their collective behaviour. Our findings shed light on the fundamental properties of active chiral matter and explain how treadmilling FtsZ filaments organize during bacterial cell division. AU - Dunajova, Zuzana AU - Prats Mateu, Batirtze AU - Radler, Philipp AU - Lim, Keesiang AU - Brandis, Dörte AU - Velicky, Philipp AU - Danzl, Johann G AU - Wong, Richard W. AU - Elgeti, Jens AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Loose, Martin ID - 13314 JF - Nature Physics SN - 1745-2473 TI - Chiral and nematic phases of flexible active filaments VL - 19 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Lymph nodes (LNs) comprise two main structural elements: fibroblastic reticular cells that form dedicated niches for immune cell interaction and capsular fibroblasts that build a shell around the organ. Immunological challenge causes LNs to increase more than tenfold in size within a few days. Here, we characterized the biomechanics of LN swelling on the cellular and organ scale. We identified lymphocyte trapping by influx and proliferation as drivers of an outward pressure force, causing fibroblastic reticular cells of the T-zone (TRCs) and their associated conduits to stretch. After an initial phase of relaxation, TRCs sensed the resulting strain through cell matrix adhesions, which coordinated local growth and remodeling of the stromal network. While the expanded TRC network readopted its typical configuration, a massive fibrotic reaction of the organ capsule set in and countered further organ expansion. Thus, different fibroblast populations mechanically control LN swelling in a multitier fashion. AU - Assen, Frank P AU - Abe, Jun AU - Hons, Miroslav AU - Hauschild, Robert AU - Shamipour, Shayan AU - Kaufmann, Walter AU - Costanzo, Tommaso AU - Krens, Gabriel AU - Brown, Markus AU - Ludewig, Burkhard AU - Hippenmeyer, Simon AU - Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp J AU - Weninger, Wolfgang AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Luther, Sanjiv A. AU - Stein, Jens V. AU - Sixt, Michael K ID - 9794 JF - Nature Immunology SN - 1529-2908 TI - Multitier mechanics control stromal adaptations in swelling lymph nodes VL - 23 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Cell dispersion from a confined area is fundamental in a number of biological processes, including cancer metastasis. To date, a quantitative understanding of the interplay of single cell motility, cell proliferation, and intercellular contacts remains elusive. In particular, the role of E- and N-Cadherin junctions, central components of intercellular contacts, is still controversial. Combining theoretical modeling with in vitro observations, we investigate the collective spreading behavior of colonies of human cancer cells (T24). The spreading of these colonies is driven by stochastic single-cell migration with frequent transient cell-cell contacts. We find that inhibition of E- and N-Cadherin junctions decreases colony spreading and average spreading velocities, without affecting the strength of correlations in spreading velocities of neighboring cells. Based on a biophysical simulation model for cell migration, we show that the behavioral changes upon disruption of these junctions can be explained by reduced repulsive excluded volume interactions between cells. This suggests that in cancer cell migration, cadherin-based intercellular contacts sharpen cell boundaries leading to repulsive rather than cohesive interactions between cells, thereby promoting efficient cell spreading during collective migration. AU - Zisis, Themistoklis AU - Brückner, David AU - Brandstätter, Tom AU - Siow, Wei Xiong AU - d’Alessandro, Joseph AU - Vollmar, Angelika M. AU - Broedersz, Chase P. AU - Zahler, Stefan ID - 10530 IS - 1 JF - Biophysical Journal KW - Biophysics SN - 0006-3495 TI - Disentangling cadherin-mediated cell-cell interactions in collective cancer cell migration VL - 121 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Although rigidity and jamming transitions have been widely studied in physics and material science, their importance in a number of biological processes, including embryo development, tissue homeostasis, wound healing, and disease progression, has only begun to be recognized in the past few years. The hypothesis that biological systems can undergo rigidity/jamming transitions is attractive, as it would allow these systems to change their material properties rapidly and strongly. However, whether such transitions indeed occur in biological systems, how they are being regulated, and what their physiological relevance might be, is still being debated. Here, we review theoretical and experimental advances from the past few years, focusing on the regulation and role of potential tissue rigidity transitions in different biological processes. AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp J ID - 10705 IS - 5 JF - Trends in Cell Biology SN - 0962-8924 TI - Rigidity transitions in development and disease VL - 32 ER - TY - JOUR AB - In development, lineage segregation is coordinated in time and space. An important example is the mammalian inner cell mass, in which the primitive endoderm (PrE, founder of the yolk sac) physically segregates from the epiblast (EPI, founder of the fetus). While the molecular requirements have been well studied, the physical mechanisms determining spatial segregation between EPI and PrE remain elusive. Here, we investigate the mechanical basis of EPI and PrE sorting. We find that rather than the differences in static cell surface mechanical parameters as in classical sorting models, it is the differences in surface fluctuations that robustly ensure physical lineage sorting. These differential surface fluctuations systematically correlate with differential cellular fluidity, which we propose together constitute a non-equilibrium sorting mechanism for EPI and PrE lineages. By combining experiments and modeling, we identify cell surface dynamics as a key factor orchestrating the correct spatial segregation of the founder embryonic lineages. AU - Yanagida, Ayaka AU - Corujo-Simon, Elena AU - Revell, Christopher K. AU - Sahu, Preeti AU - Stirparo, Giuliano G. AU - Aspalter, Irene M. AU - Winkel, Alex K. AU - Peters, Ruby AU - De Belly, Henry AU - Cassani, Davide A.D. AU - Achouri, Sarra AU - Blumenfeld, Raphael AU - Franze, Kristian AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Paluch, Ewa K. AU - Nichols, Jennifer AU - Chalut, Kevin J. ID - 10825 IS - 5 JF - Cell SN - 00928674 TI - Cell surface fluctuations regulate early embryonic lineage sorting VL - 185 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Embryo development requires biochemical signalling to generate patterns of cell fates and active mechanical forces to drive tissue shape changes. However, how these processes are coordinated, and how tissue patterning is preserved despite the cellular flows occurring during morphogenesis, remains poorly understood. Gastrulation is a crucial embryonic stage that involves both patterning and internalization of the mesendoderm germ layer tissue. Here we show that, in zebrafish embryos, a gradient in Nodal signalling orchestrates pattern-preserving internalization movements by triggering a motility-driven unjamming transition. In addition to its role as a morphogen determining embryo patterning, graded Nodal signalling mechanically subdivides the mesendoderm into a small fraction of highly protrusive leader cells, able to autonomously internalize via local unjamming, and less protrusive followers, which need to be pulled inwards by the leaders. The Nodal gradient further enforces a code of preferential adhesion coupling leaders to their immediate followers, resulting in a collective and ordered mode of internalization that preserves mesendoderm patterning. Integrating this dual mechanical role of Nodal signalling into minimal active particle simulations quantitatively predicts both physiological and experimentally perturbed internalization movements. This provides a quantitative framework for how a morphogen-encoded unjamming transition can bidirectionally couple tissue mechanics with patterning during complex three-dimensional morphogenesis. AU - Nunes Pinheiro, Diana C AU - Kardos, Roland AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp J ID - 12209 IS - 12 JF - Nature Physics KW - General Physics and Astronomy SN - 1745-2473 TI - Morphogen gradient orchestrates pattern-preserving tissue morphogenesis via motility-driven unjamming VL - 18 ER - TY - JOUR AB - The development dynamics and self-organization of glandular branched epithelia is of utmost importance for our understanding of diverse processes ranging from normal tissue growth to the growth of cancerous tissues. Using single primary murine pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells embedded in a collagen matrix and adapted media supplementation, we generate organoids that self-organize into highly branched structures displaying a seamless lumen connecting terminal end buds, replicating in vivo PDAC architecture. We identify distinct morphogenesis phases, each characterized by a unique pattern of cell invasion, matrix deformation, protein expression, and respective molecular dependencies. We propose a minimal theoretical model of a branching and proliferating tissue, capturing the dynamics of the first phases. Observing the interaction of morphogenesis, mechanical environment and gene expression in vitro sets a benchmark for the understanding of self-organization processes governing complex organoid structure formation processes and branching morphogenesis. AU - Randriamanantsoa, S. AU - Papargyriou, A. AU - Maurer, H. C. AU - Peschke, K. AU - Schuster, M. AU - Zecchin, G. AU - Steiger, K. AU - Öllinger, R. AU - Saur, D. AU - Scheel, C. AU - Rad, R. AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Reichert, M. AU - Bausch, A. R. ID - 12217 JF - Nature Communications KW - General Physics and Astronomy KW - General Biochemistry KW - Genetics and Molecular Biology KW - General Chemistry KW - Multidisciplinary SN - 2041-1723 TI - Spatiotemporal dynamics of self-organized branching in pancreas-derived organoids VL - 13 ER - TY - JOUR AB - The sculpting of germ layers during gastrulation relies on the coordinated migration of progenitor cells, yet the cues controlling these long-range directed movements remain largely unknown. While directional migration often relies on a chemokine gradient generated from a localized source, we find that zebrafish ventrolateral mesoderm is guided by a self-generated gradient of the initially uniformly expressed and secreted protein Toddler/ELABELA/Apela. We show that the Apelin receptor, which is specifically expressed in mesodermal cells, has a dual role during gastrulation, acting as a scavenger receptor to generate a Toddler gradient, and as a chemokine receptor to sense this guidance cue. Thus, we uncover a single receptor–based self-generated gradient as the enigmatic guidance cue that can robustly steer the directional migration of mesoderm through the complex and continuously changing environment of the gastrulating embryo. AU - Stock, Jessica AU - Kazmar, Tomas AU - Schlumm, Friederike AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Pauli, Andrea ID - 12253 IS - 37 JF - Science Advances SN - 2375-2548 TI - A self-generated Toddler gradient guides mesodermal cell migration VL - 8 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Cell migration in confining physiological environments relies on the concerted dynamics of several cellular components, including protrusions, adhesions with the environment, and the cell nucleus. However, it remains poorly understood how the dynamic interplay of these components and the cell polarity determine the emergent migration behavior at the cellular scale. Here, we combine data-driven inference with a mechanistic bottom-up approach to develop a model for protrusion and polarity dynamics in confined cell migration, revealing how the cellular dynamics adapt to confining geometries. Specifically, we use experimental data of joint protrusion-nucleus migration trajectories of cells on confining micropatterns to systematically determine a mechanistic model linking the stochastic dynamics of cell polarity, protrusions, and nucleus. This model indicates that the cellular dynamics adapt to confining constrictions through a switch in the polarity dynamics from a negative to a positive self-reinforcing feedback loop. Our model further reveals how this feedback loop leads to stereotypical cycles of protrusion-nucleus dynamics that drive the migration of the cell through constrictions. These cycles are disrupted upon perturbation of cytoskeletal components, indicating that the positive feedback is controlled by cellular migration mechanisms. Our data-driven theoretical approach therefore identifies polarity feedback adaptation as a key mechanism in confined cell migration. AU - Brückner, David AU - Schmitt, Matthew AU - Fink, Alexandra AU - Ladurner, Georg AU - Flommersfeld, Johannes AU - Arlt, Nicolas AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Rädler, Joachim O. AU - Broedersz, Chase P. ID - 12277 IS - 3 JF - Physical Review X KW - General Physics and Astronomy SN - 2160-3308 TI - Geometry adaptation of protrusion and polarity dynamics in confined cell migration VL - 12 ER - TY - JOUR AB - The morphology and functionality of the epithelial lining differ along the intestinal tract, but tissue renewal at all sites is driven by stem cells at the base of crypts1,2,3. Whether stem cell numbers and behaviour vary at different sites is unknown. Here we show using intravital microscopy that, despite similarities in the number and distribution of proliferative cells with an Lgr5 signature in mice, small intestinal crypts contain twice as many effective stem cells as large intestinal crypts. We find that, although passively displaced by a conveyor-belt-like upward movement, small intestinal cells positioned away from the crypt base can function as long-term effective stem cells owing to Wnt-dependent retrograde cellular movement. By contrast, the near absence of retrograde movement in the large intestine restricts cell repositioning, leading to a reduction in effective stem cell number. Moreover, after suppression of the retrograde movement in the small intestine, the number of effective stem cells is reduced, and the rate of monoclonal conversion of crypts is accelerated. Together, these results show that the number of effective stem cells is determined by active retrograde movement, revealing a new channel of stem cell regulation that can be experimentally and pharmacologically manipulated. AU - Azkanaz, Maria AU - Corominas-Murtra, Bernat AU - Ellenbroek, Saskia I. J. AU - Bruens, Lotte AU - Webb, Anna T. AU - Laskaris, Dimitrios AU - Oost, Koen C. AU - Lafirenze, Simona J. A. AU - Annusver, Karl AU - Messal, Hendrik A. AU - Iqbal, Sharif AU - Flanagan, Dustin J. AU - Huels, David J. AU - Rojas-Rodríguez, Felipe AU - Vizoso, Miguel AU - Kasper, Maria AU - Sansom, Owen J. AU - Snippert, Hugo J. AU - Liberali, Prisca AU - Simons, Benjamin D. AU - Katajisto, Pekka AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - van Rheenen, Jacco ID - 12274 IS - 7919 JF - Nature KW - Multidisciplinary SN - 0028-0836 TI - Retrograde movements determine effective stem cell numbers in the intestine VL - 607 ER - TY - GEN AB - Source data and source code for the graphs in "Spatiotemporal dynamics of self-organized branching pancreatic cancer-derived organoids". AU - Randriamanantsoa, Samuel AU - Papargyriou, Aristeidis AU - Maurer, Carlo AU - Peschke, Katja AU - Schuster, Maximilian AU - Zecchin, Giulia AU - Steiger, Katja AU - Öllinger, Rupert AU - Saur, Dieter AU - Scheel, Christina AU - Rad, Roland AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Reichert, Maximilian AU - Bausch, Andreas R. ID - 13068 TI - Spatiotemporal dynamics of self-organized branching in pancreas-derived organoids ER - TY - JOUR AB - Collective cell migration offers a rich field of study for non-equilibrium physics and cellular biology, revealing phenomena such as glassy dynamics, pattern formation and active turbulence. However, how mechanical and chemical signalling are integrated at the cellular level to give rise to such collective behaviours remains unclear. We address this by focusing on the highly conserved phenomenon of spatiotemporal waves of density and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation, which appear both in vitro and in vivo during collective cell migration and wound healing. First, we propose a biophysical theory, backed by mechanical and optogenetic perturbation experiments, showing that patterns can be quantitatively explained by a mechanochemical coupling between active cellular tensions and the mechanosensitive ERK pathway. Next, we demonstrate how this biophysical mechanism can robustly induce long-ranged order and migration in a desired orientation, and we determine the theoretically optimal wavelength and period for inducing maximal migration towards free edges, which fits well with experimentally observed dynamics. We thereby provide a bridge between the biophysical origin of spatiotemporal instabilities and the design principles of robust and efficient long-ranged migration. AU - Boocock, Daniel R AU - Hino, Naoya AU - Ruzickova, Natalia AU - Hirashima, Tsuyoshi AU - Hannezo, Edouard B ID - 8602 JF - Nature Physics SN - 17452473 TI - Theory of mechanochemical patterning and optimal migration in cell monolayers VL - 17 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Organ function depends on tissues adopting the correct architecture. However, insights into organ architecture are currently hampered by an absence of standardized quantitative 3D analysis. We aimed to develop a robust technology to visualize, digitalize, and segment the architecture of two tubular systems in 3D: double resin casting micro computed tomography (DUCT). As proof of principle, we applied DUCT to a mouse model for Alagille syndrome (Jag1Ndr/Ndr mice), characterized by intrahepatic bile duct paucity, that can spontaneously generate a biliary system in adulthood. DUCT identified increased central biliary branching and peripheral bile duct tortuosity as two compensatory processes occurring in distinct regions of Jag1Ndr/Ndr liver, leading to full reconstitution of wild-type biliary volume and phenotypic recovery. DUCT is thus a powerful new technology for 3D analysis, which can reveal novel phenotypes and provide a standardized method of defining liver architecture in mouse models. AU - Hankeova, Simona AU - Salplachta, Jakub AU - Zikmund, Tomas AU - Kavkova, Michaela AU - Van Hul, Noémi AU - Brinek, Adam AU - Smekalova, Veronika AU - Laznovsky, Jakub AU - Dawit, Feven AU - Jaros, Josef AU - Bryja, Vítězslav AU - Lendahl, Urban AU - Ellis, Ewa AU - Nemeth, Antal AU - Fischler, Björn AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Kaiser, Jozef AU - Andersson, Emma Rachel ID - 9244 JF - eLife TI - DUCT reveals architectural mechanisms contributing to bile duct recovery in a mouse model for alagille syndrome VL - 10 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Assemblies of actin and its regulators underlie the dynamic morphology of all eukaryotic cells. To understand how actin regulatory proteins work together to generate actin-rich structures such as filopodia, we analyzed the localization of diverse actin regulators within filopodia in Drosophila embryos and in a complementary in vitro system of filopodia-like structures (FLSs). We found that the composition of the regulatory protein complex where actin is incorporated (the filopodial tip complex) is remarkably heterogeneous both in vivo and in vitro. Our data reveal that different pairs of proteins correlate with each other and with actin bundle length, suggesting the presence of functional subcomplexes. This is consistent with a theoretical framework where three or more redundant subcomplexes join the tip complex stochastically, with any two being sufficient to drive filopodia formation. We provide an explanation for the observed heterogeneity and suggest that a mechanism based on multiple components allows stereotypical filopodial dynamics to arise from diverse upstream signaling pathways. AU - Dobramysl, Ulrich AU - Jarsch, Iris Katharina AU - Inoue, Yoshiko AU - Shimo, Hanae AU - Richier, Benjamin AU - Gadsby, Jonathan R. AU - Mason, Julia AU - Szałapak, Alicja AU - Ioannou, Pantelis Savvas AU - Correia, Guilherme Pereira AU - Walrant, Astrid AU - Butler, Richard AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Simons, Benjamin D. AU - Gallop, Jennifer L. ID - 9306 IS - 4 JF - Journal of Cell Biology TI - Stochastic combinations of actin regulatory proteins are sufficient to drive filopodia formation VL - 220 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Embryo morphogenesis is impacted by dynamic changes in tissue material properties, which have been proposed to occur via processes akin to phase transitions (PTs). Here, we show that rigidity percolation provides a simple and robust theoretical framework to predict material/structural PTs of embryonic tissues from local cell connectivity. By using percolation theory, combined with directly monitoring dynamic changes in tissue rheology and cell contact mechanics, we demonstrate that the zebrafish blastoderm undergoes a genuine rigidity PT, brought about by a small reduction in adhesion-dependent cell connectivity below a critical value. We quantitatively predict and experimentally verify hallmarks of PTs, including power-law exponents and associated discontinuities of macroscopic observables. Finally, we show that this uniform PT depends on blastoderm cells undergoing meta-synchronous divisions causing random and, consequently, uniform changes in cell connectivity. Collectively, our theoretical and experimental findings reveal the structural basis of material PTs in an organismal context. AU - Petridou, Nicoletta AU - Corominas-Murtra, Bernat AU - Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp J AU - Hannezo, Edouard B ID - 9316 IS - 7 JF - Cell SN - 00928674 TI - Rigidity percolation uncovers a structural basis for embryonic tissue phase transitions VL - 184 ER - TY - JOUR AB - The way in which interactions between mechanics and biochemistry lead to the emergence of complex cell and tissue organization is an old question that has recently attracted renewed interest from biologists, physicists, mathematicians and computer scientists. Rapid advances in optical physics, microscopy and computational image analysis have greatly enhanced our ability to observe and quantify spatiotemporal patterns of signalling, force generation, deformation, and flow in living cells and tissues. Powerful new tools for genetic, biophysical and optogenetic manipulation are allowing us to perturb the underlying machinery that generates these patterns in increasingly sophisticated ways. Rapid advances in theory and computing have made it possible to construct predictive models that describe how cell and tissue organization and dynamics emerge from the local coupling of biochemistry and mechanics. Together, these advances have opened up a wealth of new opportunities to explore how mechanochemical patterning shapes organismal development. In this roadmap, we present a series of forward-looking case studies on mechanochemical patterning in development, written by scientists working at the interface between the physical and biological sciences, and covering a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, organisms, and modes of development. Together, these contributions highlight the many ways in which the dynamic coupling of mechanics and biochemistry shapes biological dynamics: from mechanoenzymes that sense force to tune their activity and motor output, to collectives of cells in tissues that flow and redistribute biochemical signals during development. AU - Lenne, Pierre François AU - Munro, Edwin AU - Heemskerk, Idse AU - Warmflash, Aryeh AU - Bocanegra, Laura AU - Kishi, Kasumi AU - Kicheva, Anna AU - Long, Yuchen AU - Fruleux, Antoine AU - Boudaoud, Arezki AU - Saunders, Timothy E. AU - Caldarelli, Paolo AU - Michaut, Arthur AU - Gros, Jerome AU - Maroudas-Sacks, Yonit AU - Keren, Kinneret AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Gartner, Zev J. AU - Stormo, Benjamin AU - Gladfelter, Amy AU - Rodrigues, Alan AU - Shyer, Amy AU - Minc, Nicolas AU - Maître, Jean Léon AU - Di Talia, Stefano AU - Khamaisi, Bassma AU - Sprinzak, David AU - Tlili, Sham ID - 9349 IS - 4 JF - Physical biology TI - Roadmap for the multiscale coupling of biochemical and mechanical signals during development VL - 18 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Intestinal organoids derived from single cells undergo complex crypt–villus patterning and morphogenesis. However, the nature and coordination of the underlying forces remains poorly characterized. Here, using light-sheet microscopy and large-scale imaging quantification, we demonstrate that crypt formation coincides with a stark reduction in lumen volume. We develop a 3D biophysical model to computationally screen different mechanical scenarios of crypt morphogenesis. Combining this with live-imaging data and multiple mechanical perturbations, we show that actomyosin-driven crypt apical contraction and villus basal tension work synergistically with lumen volume reduction to drive crypt morphogenesis, and demonstrate the existence of a critical point in differential tensions above which crypt morphology becomes robust to volume changes. Finally, we identified a sodium/glucose cotransporter that is specific to differentiated enterocytes that modulates lumen volume reduction through cell swelling in the villus region. Together, our study uncovers the cellular basis of how cell fate modulates osmotic and actomyosin forces to coordinate robust morphogenesis. AU - Yang, Qiutan AU - Xue, Shi-lei AU - Chan, Chii Jou AU - Rempfler, Markus AU - Vischi, Dario AU - Maurer-Gutierrez, Francisca AU - Hiiragi, Takashi AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Liberali, Prisca ID - 9629 JF - Nature Cell Biology SN - 1465-7392 TI - Cell fate coordinates mechano-osmotic forces in intestinal crypt formation VL - 23 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Proper control of division orientation and symmetry, largely determined by spindle positioning, is essential to development and homeostasis. Spindle positioning has been extensively studied in cells dividing in two-dimensional (2D) environments and in epithelial tissues, where proteins such as NuMA (also known as NUMA1) orient division along the interphase long axis of the cell. However, little is known about how cells control spindle positioning in three-dimensional (3D) environments, such as early mammalian embryos and a variety of adult tissues. Here, we use mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which grow in 3D colonies, as a model to investigate division in 3D. We observe that, at the periphery of 3D colonies, ESCs display high spindle mobility and divide asymmetrically. Our data suggest that enhanced spindle movements are due to unequal distribution of the cell–cell junction protein E-cadherin between future daughter cells. Interestingly, when cells progress towards differentiation, division becomes more symmetric, with more elongated shapes in metaphase and enhanced cortical NuMA recruitment in anaphase. Altogether, this study suggests that in 3D contexts, the geometry of the cell and its contacts with neighbors control division orientation and symmetry. AU - Chaigne, Agathe AU - Smith, Matthew B. AU - Cavestany, R. L. AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Chalut, Kevin J. AU - Paluch, Ewa K. ID - 9952 IS - 14 JF - Journal of Cell Science SN - 00219533 TI - Three-dimensional geometry controls division symmetry in stem cell colonies VL - 134 ER - TY - JOUR AB - In dense biological tissues, cell types performing different roles remain segregated by maintaining sharp interfaces. To better understand the mechanisms for such sharp compartmentalization, we study the effect of an imposed heterotypic tension at the interface between two distinct cell types in a fully 3D Voronoi model for confluent tissues. We find that cells rapidly sort and self-organize to generate a tissue-scale interface between cell types, and cells adjacent to this interface exhibit signature geometric features including nematic-like ordering, bimodal facet areas, and registration, or alignment, of cell centers on either side of the two-tissue interface. The magnitude of these features scales directly with the magnitude of the imposed tension, suggesting that biologists can estimate the magnitude of tissue surface tension between two tissue types simply by segmenting a 3D tissue. To uncover the underlying physical mechanisms driving these geometric features, we develop two minimal, ordered models using two different underlying lattices that identify an energetic competition between bulk cell shapes and tissue interface area. When the interface area dominates, changes to neighbor topology are costly and occur less frequently, which generates the observed geometric features. AU - Sahu, Preeti AU - Schwarz, J. M. AU - Manning, M. Lisa ID - 10178 IS - 9 JF - New Journal of Physics TI - Geometric signatures of tissue surface tension in a three-dimensional model of confluent tissue VL - 23 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Branching morphogenesis governs the formation of many organs such as lung, kidney, and the neurovascular system. Many studies have explored system-specific molecular and cellular regulatory mechanisms, as well as self-organizing rules underlying branching morphogenesis. However, in addition to local cues, branched tissue growth can also be influenced by global guidance. Here, we develop a theoretical framework for a stochastic self-organized branching process in the presence of external cues. Combining analytical theory with numerical simulations, we predict differential signatures of global vs. local regulatory mechanisms on the branching pattern, such as angle distributions, domain size, and space-filling efficiency. We find that branch alignment follows a generic scaling law determined by the strength of global guidance, while local interactions influence the tissue density but not its overall territory. Finally, using zebrafish innervation as a model system, we test these key features of the model experimentally. Our work thus provides quantitative predictions to disentangle the role of different types of cues in shaping branched structures across scales. AU - Ucar, Mehmet C AU - Kamenev, Dmitrii AU - Sunadome, Kazunori AU - Fachet, Dominik C AU - Lallemend, Francois AU - Adameyko, Igor AU - Hadjab, Saida AU - Hannezo, Edouard B ID - 10402 JF - Nature Communications TI - Theory of branching morphogenesis by local interactions and global guidance VL - 12 ER - TY - GEN AB - The zip file includes source data used in the main text of the manuscript "Theory of branching morphogenesis by local interactions and global guidance", as well as a representative Jupyter notebook to reproduce the main figures. A sample script for the simulations of branching and annihilating random walks is also included (Sample_script_for_simulations_of_BARWs.ipynb) to generate exemplary branched networks under external guidance. A detailed description of the simulation setup is provided in the supplementary information of the manuscipt. AU - Ucar, Mehmet C ID - 13058 TI - Source data for the manuscript "Theory of branching morphogenesis by local interactions and global guidance" ER - TY - JOUR AB - 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. AU - Munjal, Akankshi AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Tsai, Tony Y.C. AU - Mitchison, Timothy J. AU - Megason, Sean G. ID - 10573 IS - 26 JF - Cell SN - 0092-8674 TI - Extracellular hyaluronate pressure shaped by cellular tethers drives tissue morphogenesis VL - 184 ER - TY - JOUR AB - The early development of many organisms involves the folding of cell monolayers, but this behaviour is difficult to reproduce in vitro; therefore, both mechanistic causes and effects of local curvature remain unclear. Here we study epithelial cell monolayers on corrugated hydrogels engineered into wavy patterns, examining how concave and convex curvatures affect cellular and nuclear shape. We find that substrate curvature affects monolayer thickness, which is larger in valleys than crests. We show that this feature generically arises in a vertex model, leading to the hypothesis that cells may sense curvature by modifying the thickness of the tissue. We find that local curvature also affects nuclear morphology and positioning, which we explain by extending the vertex model to take into account membrane–nucleus interactions, encoding thickness modulation in changes to nuclear deformation and position. We propose that curvature governs the spatial distribution of yes-associated proteins via nuclear shape and density changes. We show that curvature also induces significant variations in lamins, chromatin condensation and cell proliferation rate in folded epithelial tissues. Together, this work identifies active cell mechanics and nuclear mechanoadaptation as the key players of the mechanistic regulation of epithelia to substrate curvature. AU - Luciano, Marine AU - Xue, Shi-lei AU - De Vos, Winnok H. AU - Redondo-Morata, Lorena AU - Surin, Mathieu AU - Lafont, Frank AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Gabriele, Sylvain ID - 10365 IS - 12 JF - Nature Physics SN - 1745-2473 TI - Cell monolayers sense curvature by exploiting active mechanics and nuclear mechanoadaptation VL - 17 ER - TY - JOUR AB - In the living cell, we encounter a large variety of motile processes such as organelle transport and cytoskeleton remodeling. These processes are driven by motor proteins that generate force by transducing chemical free energy into mechanical work. In many cases, the molecular motors work in teams to collectively generate larger forces. Recent optical trapping experiments on small teams of cytoskeletal motors indicated that the collectively generated force increases with the size of the motor team but that this increase depends on the motor type and on whether the motors are studied in vitro or in vivo. Here, we use the theory of stochastic processes to describe the motion of N motors in a stationary optical trap and to compute the N-dependence of the collectively generated forces. We consider six distinct motor types, two kinesins, two dyneins, and two myosins. We show that the force increases always linearly with N but with a prefactor that depends on the performance of the single motor. Surprisingly, this prefactor increases for weaker motors with a lower stall force. This counter-intuitive behavior reflects the increased probability with which stronger motors detach from the filament during strain generation. Our theoretical results are in quantitative agreement with experimental data on small teams of kinesin-1 motors. AU - Ucar, Mehmet C AU - Lipowsky, Reinhard ID - 7166 IS - 1 JF - Nano Letters SN - 1530-6984 TI - Collective force generation by molecular motors is determined by strain-induced unbinding VL - 20 ER - TY - GEN AB - Data obtained from the fine-grained simulations used in Figures 2-5, data obtained from the coarse-grained numerical calculations used in Figure 6, and a sample script for the fine-grained simulation as a Jupyter notebook (ZIP) AU - Ucar, Mehmet C AU - Lipowsky, Reinhard ID - 9885 TI - MURL_Dataz ER - TY - JOUR AB - In many real-world systems, information can be transmitted in two qualitatively different ways: by copying or by transformation. Copying occurs when messages are transmitted without modification, e.g. when an offspring receives an unaltered copy of a gene from its parent. Transformation occurs when messages are modified systematically during transmission, e.g. when mutational biases occur during genetic replication. Standard information-theoretic measures do not distinguish these two modes of information transfer, although they may reflect different mechanisms and have different functional consequences. Starting from a few simple axioms, we derive a decomposition of mutual information into the information transmitted by copying versus the information transmitted by transformation. We begin with a decomposition that applies when the source and destination of the channel have the same set of messages and a notion of message identity exists. We then generalize our decomposition to other kinds of channels, which can involve different source and destination sets and broader notions of similarity. In addition, we show that copy information can be interpreted as the minimal work needed by a physical copying process, which is relevant for understanding the physics of replication. We use the proposed decomposition to explore a model of amino acid substitution rates. Our results apply to any system in which the fidelity of copying, rather than simple predictability, is of critical relevance. AU - Kolchinsky, Artemy AU - Corominas-Murtra, Bernat ID - 7431 IS - 162 JF - Journal of the Royal Society Interface TI - Decomposing information into copying versus transformation VL - 17 ER - TY - JOUR AB - During embryonic and postnatal development, organs and tissues grow steadily to achieve their final size at the end of puberty. However, little is known about the cellular dynamics that mediate postnatal growth. By combining in vivo clonal lineage tracing, proliferation kinetics, single-cell transcriptomics, andin vitro micro-pattern experiments, we resolved the cellular dynamics taking place during postnatal skin epidermis expansion. Our data revealed that harmonious growth is engineered by a single population of developmental progenitors presenting a fixed fate imbalance of self-renewing divisions with an ever-decreasing proliferation rate. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that epidermal developmental progenitors form a more uniform population compared with adult stem and progenitor cells. Finally, we found that the spatial pattern of cell division orientation is dictated locally by the underlying collagen fiber orientation. Our results uncover a simple design principle of organ growth where progenitors and differentiated cells expand in harmony with their surrounding tissues. AU - Dekoninck, Sophie AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Sifrim, Alejandro AU - Miroshnikova, Yekaterina A. AU - Aragona, Mariaceleste AU - Malfait, Milan AU - Gargouri, Souhir AU - De Neunheuser, Charlotte AU - Dubois, Christine AU - Voet, Thierry AU - Wickström, Sara A. AU - Simons, Benjamin D. AU - Blanpain, Cédric ID - 7789 IS - 3 JF - Cell SN - 00928674 TI - Defining the design principles of skin epidermis postnatal growth VL - 181 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Understanding to what extent stem cell potential is a cell-intrinsic property or an emergent behavior coming from global tissue dynamics and geometry is a key outstanding question of systems and stem cell biology. Here, we propose a theory of stem cell dynamics as a stochastic competition for access to a spatially localized niche, giving rise to a stochastic conveyor-belt model. Cell divisions produce a steady cellular stream which advects cells away from the niche, while random rearrangements enable cells away from the niche to be favorably repositioned. Importantly, even when assuming that all cells in a tissue are molecularly equivalent, we predict a common (“universal”) functional dependence of the long-term clonal survival probability on distance from the niche, as well as the emergence of a well-defined number of functional stem cells, dependent only on the rate of random movements vs. mitosis-driven advection. We test the predictions of this theory on datasets of pubertal mammary gland tips and embryonic kidney tips, as well as homeostatic intestinal crypts. Importantly, we find good agreement for the predicted functional dependency of the competition as a function of position, and thus functional stem cell number in each organ. This argues for a key role of positional fluctuations in dictating stem cell number and dynamics, and we discuss the applicability of this theory to other settings. AU - Corominas-Murtra, Bernat AU - Scheele, Colinda L.G.J. AU - Kishi, Kasumi AU - Ellenbroek, Saskia I.J. AU - Simons, Benjamin D. AU - Van Rheenen, Jacco AU - Hannezo, Edouard B ID - 8220 IS - 29 JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America TI - Stem cell lineage survival as a noisy competition for niche access VL - 117 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Pancreatic islets play an essential role in regulating blood glucose level. Although the molecular pathways underlying islet cell differentiation are beginning to be resolved, the cellular basis of islet morphogenesis and fate allocation remain unclear. By combining unbiased and targeted lineage tracing, we address the events leading to islet formation in the mouse. From the statistical analysis of clones induced at multiple embryonic timepoints, here we show that, during the secondary transition, islet formation involves the aggregation of multiple equipotent endocrine progenitors that transition from a phase of stochastic amplification by cell division into a phase of sublineage restriction and limited islet fission. Together, these results explain quantitatively the heterogeneous size distribution and degree of polyclonality of maturing islets, as well as dispersion of progenitors within and between islets. Further, our results show that, during the secondary transition, α- and β-cells are generated in a contemporary manner. Together, these findings provide insight into the cellular basis of islet development. AU - Sznurkowska, Magdalena K. AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Azzarelli, Roberta AU - Chatzeli, Lemonia AU - Ikeda, Tatsuro AU - Yoshida, Shosei AU - Philpott, Anna AU - Simons, Benjamin D ID - 8669 JF - Nature Communications TI - Tracing the cellular basis of islet specification in mouse pancreas VL - 11 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Cell fate transitions are key to development and homeostasis. It is thus essential to understand the cellular mechanisms controlling fate transitions. Cell division has been implicated in fate decisions in many stem cell types, including neuronal and epithelial progenitors. In other stem cells, such as embryonic stem (ES) cells, the role of division remains unclear. Here, we show that exit from naive pluripotency in mouse ES cells generally occurs after a division. We further show that exit timing is strongly correlated between sister cells, which remain connected by cytoplasmic bridges long after division, and that bridge abscission progressively accelerates as cells exit naive pluripotency. Finally, interfering with abscission impairs naive pluripotency exit, and artificially inducing abscission accelerates it. Altogether, our data indicate that a switch in the division machinery leading to faster abscission regulates pluripotency exit. Our study identifies abscission as a key cellular process coupling cell division to fate transitions. AU - Chaigne, Agathe AU - Labouesse, Céline AU - White, Ian J. AU - Agnew, Meghan AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Chalut, Kevin J. AU - Paluch, Ewa K. ID - 8672 IS - 2 JF - Developmental Cell SN - 15345807 TI - Abscission couples cell division to embryonic stem cell fate VL - 55 ER - TY - GEN AB - A detailed description of the two stochastic models, table of parameters, supplementary data for Figures 4 and 5, parameter dependence of the results, and an analysis on motors with different force–velocity functions (PDF) AU - Ucar, Mehmet C AU - Lipowsky, Reinhard ID - 9726 TI - Supplementary information - Collective force generation by molecular motors is determined by strain-induced unbinding ER - TY - JOUR AB - Understanding the thermodynamics of the duplication process is a fundamental step towards a comprehensive physical theory of biological systems. However, the immense complexity of real cells obscures the fundamental tensions between energy gradients and entropic contributions that underlie duplication. The study of synthetic, feasible systems reproducing part of the key ingredients of living entities but overcoming major sources of biological complexity is of great relevance to deepen the comprehension of the fundamental thermodynamic processes underlying life and its prevalence. In this paper an abstract—yet realistic—synthetic system made of small synthetic protocell aggregates is studied in detail. A fundamental relation between free energy and entropic gradients is derived for a general, non-equilibrium scenario, setting the thermodynamic conditions for the occurrence and prevalence of duplication phenomena. This relation sets explicitly how the energy gradients invested in creating and maintaining structural—and eventually, functional—elements of the system must always compensate the entropic gradients, whose contributions come from changes in the translational, configurational, and macrostate entropies, as well as from dissipation due to irreversible transitions. Work/energy relations are also derived, defining lower bounds on the energy required for the duplication event to take place. A specific example including real ternary emulsions is provided in order to grasp the orders of magnitude involved in the problem. It is found that the minimal work invested over the system to trigger a duplication event is around ~ 10−13J , which results, in the case of duplication of all the vesicles contained in a liter of emulsion, in an amount of energy around ~ 1kJ . Without aiming to describe a truly biological process of duplication, this theoretical contribution seeks to explicitly define and identify the key actors that participate in it. AU - Corominas-Murtra, Bernat ID - 5944 IS - 1 JF - Life TI - Thermodynamics of duplication thresholds in synthetic protocell systems VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR AB - The formation of self-organized patterns is key to the morphogenesis of multicellular organisms, although a comprehensive theory of biological pattern formation is still lacking. Here, we propose a minimal model combining tissue mechanics with morphogen turnover and transport to explore routes to patterning. Our active description couples morphogen reaction and diffusion, which impact cell differentiation and tissue mechanics, to a two-phase poroelastic rheology, where one tissue phase consists of a poroelastic cell network and the other one of a permeating extracellular fluid, which provides a feedback by actively transporting morphogens. While this model encompasses previous theories approximating tissues to inert monophasic media, such as Turing’s reaction–diffusion model, it overcomes some of their key limitations permitting pattern formation via any two-species biochemical kinetics due to mechanically induced cross-diffusion flows. Moreover, we describe a qualitatively different advection-driven Keller–Segel instability which allows for the formation of patterns with a single morphogen and whose fundamental mode pattern robustly scales with tissue size. We discuss the potential relevance of these findings for tissue morphogenesis. AU - Recho, Pierre AU - Hallou, Adrien AU - Hannezo, Edouard B ID - 6191 IS - 12 JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America SN - 00278424 TI - Theory of mechanochemical patterning in biphasic biological tissues VL - 116 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Adult intestinal stem cells are located at the bottom of crypts of Lieberkühn, where they express markers such as LGR5 1,2 and fuel the constant replenishment of the intestinal epithelium1. Although fetal LGR5-expressing cells can give rise to adult intestinal stem cells3,4, it remains unclear whether this population in the patterned epithelium represents unique intestinal stem-cell precursors. Here we show, using unbiased quantitative lineage-tracing approaches, biophysical modelling and intestinal transplantation, that all cells of the mouse intestinal epithelium—irrespective of their location and pattern of LGR5 expression in the fetal gut tube—contribute actively to the adult intestinal stem cell pool. Using 3D imaging, we find that during fetal development the villus undergoes gross remodelling and fission. This brings epithelial cells from the non-proliferative villus into the proliferative intervillus region, which enables them to contribute to the adult stem-cell niche. Our results demonstrate that large-scale remodelling of the intestinal wall and cell-fate specification are closely linked. Moreover, these findings provide a direct link between the observed plasticity and cellular reprogramming of differentiating cells in adult tissues following damage5,6,7,8,9, revealing that stem-cell identity is an induced rather than a hardwired property. AU - Guiu, Jordi AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Yui, Shiro AU - Demharter, Samuel AU - Ulyanchenko, Svetlana AU - Maimets, Martti AU - Jørgensen, Anne AU - Perlman, Signe AU - Lundvall, Lene AU - Mamsen, Linn Salto AU - Larsen, Agnete AU - Olesen, Rasmus H. AU - Andersen, Claus Yding AU - Thuesen, Lea Langhoff AU - Hare, Kristine Juul AU - Pers, Tune H. AU - Khodosevich, Konstantin AU - Simons, Benjamin D. AU - Jensen, Kim B. ID - 6513 JF - Nature SN - 00280836 TI - Tracing the origin of adult intestinal stem cells VL - 570 ER -