RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Integrating planar polarity and tissue mechanics in computational models of epithelial morphogenesis
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 138172
DO 10.1101/138172
A1 Katherine H. Fisher
A1 David Strutt
A1 Alexander G. Fletcher
YR 2017
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/05/15/138172.abstract
AB Cells in many epithelial tissues are polarised orthogonally to their apicobasal axis. Such planar polarity ensures that tissue shape and structure are properly organised. Disruption of planar polarity can result in developmental defects such as failed neural tube closure and cleft palette. Recent advances in molecular and live-imaging techniques have implicated both secreted morphogens and mechanical forces as orienting cues for planar polarisation. Components of planar polarity pathways act upstream of cytoskeletal effectors, which can alter cell mechanics in a polarised manner. The study of cell polarisation thus provides a system for dissecting the interplay between chemical and mechanical signals in development. Here, we discuss how different computational models have contributed to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying planar polarity in animal tissues, focusing on recent efforts to integrate cell signalling and tissue mechanics. We conclude by discussing ways in which computational models could be improved to further our understanding of how planar polarity and tissue mechanics are coordinated during development.