Fundamental physical cellular constraints drive self-organization of tissues.

ABSTRACT: Morphogenesis is driven by small cell shape changes that modulate tissue organization. Apical surfaces of proliferating epithelial sheets have been particularly well studied. Currently, it is accepted that a stereotyped distribution of cellular polygons is conserved in proliferating tissues among metazoans. In this work, we challenge these previous findings showing that diverse natural packed tissues have very different polygon distributions. We use Voronoi tessellations as a mathematical framework that predicts this diversity. We demonstrate that Voronoi tessellations and the very different tissues analysed share an overriding restriction: the frequency of polygon types correlates with the distribution of cell areas. By altering the balance of tensions and pressures within the packed tiss

SUBMITTER: Sanchez-Gutierrez D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4718000 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature