Dresden 2014 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 8: Posters: Active cell and tissue mechanics

BP 8.1: Poster

Monday, March 31, 2014, 17:30–19:30, P3

The 3D Vertex Model for Epithelial Mechanics — •Silvanus Alt, Frank Jülicher, and Guillaume Salbreux — Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, Dresden, Deutschland

Understanding how mechanical forces drive epithelia deformations is crucial to shed light on processes involved in morphogenesis. Here we introduce a 3D vertex model, which represents cells in epithelia in three dimensions by a network of vertices joined by triangulated surfaces. Surface and line tensions, arising from forces generated in the actomyosin cytoskeleton, and the cells* intracellular elasticity act on the vertices to generate cellular deformations. Using this framework, we are interested in understanding the 3D cell shape in epithelia as well as the 3D deformations of epithelia, such as folding, formation of furrows, and invagination of structures.

In my talk, I focus on the physical mechanism for the formation of cysts, out-of-plane bulges which form in the Drosophila wing discs as a result of ectopic expression of a wide range of transcription factors. The 3D vertex model quantitatively captures the observed tissue deformations by considering an increase in line tension at the boundary of the cyst. The increase in tension at the boundary results in a planar pressure driving out of plane deformations. We propose that this constitutes a general mechanism for both invagination and evagination of epithelia.