Mechanocellular models of epithelial morphogenesis
Embryonic epithelia achieve complex morphogenetic movements, including in-plane reshaping, bending and folding, through the coordinated action and rearrangement of individual cells. Technical advances in molecular and live-imaging studies of epithelial dynamics provide a very real opportunity to und...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
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Royal Society
2017
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| _version_ | 1797095331972775936 |
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| author | Fletcher, A Cooper, F Baker, R |
| author_facet | Fletcher, A Cooper, F Baker, R |
| author_sort | Fletcher, A |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Embryonic epithelia achieve complex morphogenetic movements, including in-plane reshaping, bending and folding, through the coordinated action and rearrangement of individual cells. Technical advances in molecular and live-imaging studies of epithelial dynamics provide a very real opportunity to understand how cell-level processes facilitate these large-scale tissue rearrangements. However, the large datasets that we are now able to generate require careful interpretation. In combination with experimental approaches, computational modelling allows us to challenge and refine our current understanding of epithelial morphogenesis and to explore experimentally intractable questions. To this end a variety of cell-based modelling approaches have been developed to describe cell–cell mechanical interactions, ranging from vertex and ‘finite element’ models that approximate each cell geometrically by a polygon representing the cell’s membrane, to immersed boundary and subcellular element models that allow for more arbitrary cell shapes. Here we review how these models have been used to provide insight into epithelial morphogenesis and describe how such models could help future efforts to decipher the forces and mechanical and biochemical feedbacks that guide cell and tissue-level behaviour. In addition, we discuss current challenges associated with using computational models of morphogenetic processes in a quantitative and predictive way. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T04:26:22Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:ccc2f069-c382-4e99-ae54-ad9401d6cde1 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T04:26:22Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | Royal Society |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:ccc2f069-c382-4e99-ae54-ad9401d6cde12022-03-27T07:24:11ZMechanocellular models of epithelial morphogenesisJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:ccc2f069-c382-4e99-ae54-ad9401d6cde1Symplectic Elements at OxfordRoyal Society2017Fletcher, ACooper, FBaker, REmbryonic epithelia achieve complex morphogenetic movements, including in-plane reshaping, bending and folding, through the coordinated action and rearrangement of individual cells. Technical advances in molecular and live-imaging studies of epithelial dynamics provide a very real opportunity to understand how cell-level processes facilitate these large-scale tissue rearrangements. However, the large datasets that we are now able to generate require careful interpretation. In combination with experimental approaches, computational modelling allows us to challenge and refine our current understanding of epithelial morphogenesis and to explore experimentally intractable questions. To this end a variety of cell-based modelling approaches have been developed to describe cell–cell mechanical interactions, ranging from vertex and ‘finite element’ models that approximate each cell geometrically by a polygon representing the cell’s membrane, to immersed boundary and subcellular element models that allow for more arbitrary cell shapes. Here we review how these models have been used to provide insight into epithelial morphogenesis and describe how such models could help future efforts to decipher the forces and mechanical and biochemical feedbacks that guide cell and tissue-level behaviour. In addition, we discuss current challenges associated with using computational models of morphogenetic processes in a quantitative and predictive way. |
| spellingShingle | Fletcher, A Cooper, F Baker, R Mechanocellular models of epithelial morphogenesis |
| title | Mechanocellular models of epithelial morphogenesis |
| title_full | Mechanocellular models of epithelial morphogenesis |
| title_fullStr | Mechanocellular models of epithelial morphogenesis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mechanocellular models of epithelial morphogenesis |
| title_short | Mechanocellular models of epithelial morphogenesis |
| title_sort | mechanocellular models of epithelial morphogenesis |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fletchera mechanocellularmodelsofepithelialmorphogenesis AT cooperf mechanocellularmodelsofepithelialmorphogenesis AT bakerr mechanocellularmodelsofepithelialmorphogenesis |