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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 5: Tissue Mechanics I
BP 5.9: Talk
Monday, March 18, 2024, 17:30–17:45, H 0110
A model of epithelial folding through local degradation of an elastic basement membrane plate — •Karla Yanin Guerra Santillan1,2, Caroline Jantzen1, Christian Dahmann1,2, and Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich1,2,3 — 1Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany. — 2School of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany. — 3Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Epithelia are polarized flat layers of cells that line the surfaces of organs. On the basal side, the epithelial cell layer is supported by a basement membrane - a thin polymeric layer of self-assembled extracellular matrix (ECM) that plays a crucial role in shaping healthy organs during organism morphogenesis. Previous research on the larval wing disc of Drosophila melanogaster notes a connection between localized basement membrane degradation and epithelial folding.
In this study, we introduce a unique approach to understanding epithelial folding by integrating a plate theory model of the basement membrane with experiments. Our theoretical model considers force balance within the basement membrane and interactions with the cell layer, explaining epithelial folding during local plate degradation with a preexisting balance of active and passive mechanical prestress.
To validate our theoretical framework, we conducted experiments exploring the influence of cell-internal hydrostatic pressure and basolateral contractility on fold depth, confirming their pivotal roles in fold shape.
Keywords: Continuum-mechanics; Active prestress; plate bending theory; Basement membrane; Tissue folding