@article{10530,
  abstract     = {Cell dispersion from a confined area is fundamental in a number of biological processes,
including cancer metastasis. To date, a quantitative understanding of the interplay of single
cell motility, cell proliferation, and intercellular contacts remains elusive. In particular, the role
of E- and N-Cadherin junctions, central components of intercellular contacts, is still
controversial. Combining theoretical modeling with in vitro observations, we investigate the
collective spreading behavior of colonies of human cancer cells (T24). The spreading of these
colonies is driven by stochastic single-cell migration with frequent transient cell-cell contacts.
We find that inhibition of E- and N-Cadherin junctions decreases colony spreading and average
spreading velocities, without affecting the strength of correlations in spreading velocities of
neighboring cells. Based on a biophysical simulation model for cell migration, we show that the
behavioral changes upon disruption of these junctions can be explained by reduced repulsive
excluded volume interactions between cells. This suggests that in cancer cell migration,
cadherin-based intercellular contacts sharpen cell boundaries leading to repulsive rather than
cohesive interactions between cells, thereby promoting efficient cell spreading during collective
migration.
},
  author       = {Zisis, Themistoklis and Brückner, David and Brandstätter, Tom and Siow, Wei Xiong and d’Alessandro, Joseph and Vollmar, Angelika M. and Broedersz, Chase P. and Zahler, Stefan},
  issn         = {0006-3495},
  journal      = {Biophysical Journal},
  keywords     = {Biophysics},
  number       = {1},
  pages        = {P44--60},
  publisher    = {Elsevier},
  title        = {{Disentangling cadherin-mediated cell-cell interactions in collective cancer cell migration}},
  doi          = {10.1016/j.bpj.2021.12.006},
  volume       = {121},
  year         = {2022},
}

@article{12209,
  abstract     = {Embryo development requires biochemical signalling to generate patterns of cell fates and active mechanical forces to drive tissue shape changes. However, how these processes are coordinated, and how tissue patterning is preserved despite the cellular flows occurring during morphogenesis, remains poorly understood. Gastrulation is a crucial embryonic stage that involves both patterning and internalization of the mesendoderm germ layer tissue. Here we show that, in zebrafish embryos, a gradient in Nodal signalling orchestrates pattern-preserving internalization movements by triggering a motility-driven unjamming transition. In addition to its role as a morphogen determining embryo patterning, graded Nodal signalling mechanically subdivides the mesendoderm into a small fraction of highly protrusive leader cells, able to autonomously internalize via local unjamming, and less protrusive followers, which need to be pulled inwards by the leaders. The Nodal gradient further enforces a code of preferential adhesion coupling leaders to their immediate followers, resulting in a collective and ordered mode of internalization that preserves mesendoderm patterning. Integrating this dual mechanical role of Nodal signalling into minimal active particle simulations quantitatively predicts both physiological and experimentally perturbed internalization movements. This provides a quantitative framework for how a morphogen-encoded unjamming transition can bidirectionally couple tissue mechanics with patterning during complex three-dimensional morphogenesis.},
  author       = {Nunes Pinheiro, Diana C and Kardos, Roland and Hannezo, Edouard B and Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp J},
  issn         = {1745-2481},
  journal      = {Nature Physics},
  keywords     = {General Physics and Astronomy},
  number       = {12},
  pages        = {1482--1493},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Morphogen gradient orchestrates pattern-preserving tissue morphogenesis via motility-driven unjamming}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41567-022-01787-6},
  volume       = {18},
  year         = {2022},
}

@article{12217,
  abstract     = {The development dynamics and self-organization of glandular branched epithelia is of utmost importance for our understanding of diverse processes ranging from normal tissue growth to the growth of cancerous tissues. Using single primary murine pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells embedded in a collagen matrix and adapted media supplementation, we generate organoids that self-organize into highly branched structures displaying a seamless lumen connecting terminal end buds, replicating in vivo PDAC architecture. We identify distinct morphogenesis phases, each characterized by a unique pattern of cell invasion, matrix deformation, protein expression, and respective molecular dependencies. We propose a minimal theoretical model of a branching and proliferating tissue, capturing the dynamics of the first phases. Observing the interaction of morphogenesis, mechanical environment and gene expression in vitro sets a benchmark for the understanding of self-organization processes governing complex organoid structure formation processes and branching morphogenesis.},
  author       = {Randriamanantsoa, S. and Papargyriou, A. and Maurer, H. C. and Peschke, K. and Schuster, M. and Zecchin, G. and Steiger, K. and Öllinger, R. and Saur, D. and Scheel, C. and Rad, R. and Hannezo, Edouard B and Reichert, M. and Bausch, A. R.},
  issn         = {2041-1723},
  journal      = {Nature Communications},
  keywords     = {General Physics and Astronomy, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, General Chemistry, Multidisciplinary},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Spatiotemporal dynamics of self-organized branching in pancreas-derived organoids}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41467-022-32806-y},
  volume       = {13},
  year         = {2022},
}

@article{12253,
  abstract     = {The sculpting of germ layers during gastrulation relies on the coordinated migration of progenitor cells, yet the cues controlling these long-range directed movements remain largely unknown. While directional migration often relies on a chemokine gradient generated from a localized source, we find that zebrafish ventrolateral mesoderm is guided by a self-generated gradient of the initially uniformly expressed and secreted protein Toddler/ELABELA/Apela. We show that the Apelin receptor, which is specifically expressed in mesodermal cells, has a dual role during gastrulation, acting as a scavenger receptor to generate a Toddler gradient, and as a chemokine receptor to sense this guidance cue. Thus, we uncover a single receptor–based self-generated gradient as the enigmatic guidance cue that can robustly steer the directional migration of mesoderm through the complex and continuously changing environment of the gastrulating embryo.},
  author       = {Stock, Jessica and Kazmar, Tomas and Schlumm, Friederike and Hannezo, Edouard B and Pauli, Andrea},
  issn         = {2375-2548},
  journal      = {Science Advances},
  number       = {37},
  publisher    = {American Association for the Advancement of Science},
  title        = {{A self-generated Toddler gradient guides mesodermal cell migration}},
  doi          = {10.1126/sciadv.add2488},
  volume       = {8},
  year         = {2022},
}

@article{12274,
  abstract     = {The morphology and functionality of the epithelial lining differ along the intestinal tract, but tissue renewal at all sites is driven by stem cells at the base of crypts1,2,3. Whether stem cell numbers and behaviour vary at different sites is unknown. Here we show using intravital microscopy that, despite similarities in the number and distribution of proliferative cells with an Lgr5 signature in mice, small intestinal crypts contain twice as many effective stem cells as large intestinal crypts. We find that, although passively displaced by a conveyor-belt-like upward movement, small intestinal cells positioned away from the crypt base can function as long-term effective stem cells owing to Wnt-dependent retrograde cellular movement. By contrast, the near absence of retrograde movement in the large intestine restricts cell repositioning, leading to a reduction in effective stem cell number. Moreover, after suppression of the retrograde movement in the small intestine, the number of effective stem cells is reduced, and the rate of monoclonal conversion of crypts is accelerated. Together, these results show that the number of effective stem cells is determined by active retrograde movement, revealing a new channel of stem cell regulation that can be experimentally and pharmacologically manipulated.},
  author       = {Azkanaz, Maria and Corominas-Murtra, Bernat and Ellenbroek, Saskia I. J. and Bruens, Lotte and Webb, Anna T. and Laskaris, Dimitrios and Oost, Koen C. and Lafirenze, Simona J. A. and Annusver, Karl and Messal, Hendrik A. and Iqbal, Sharif and Flanagan, Dustin J. and Huels, David J. and Rojas-Rodríguez, Felipe and Vizoso, Miguel and Kasper, Maria and Sansom, Owen J. and Snippert, Hugo J. and Liberali, Prisca and Simons, Benjamin D. and Katajisto, Pekka and Hannezo, Edouard B and van Rheenen, Jacco},
  issn         = {1476-4687},
  journal      = {Nature},
  keywords     = {Multidisciplinary},
  number       = {7919},
  pages        = {548--554},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Retrograde movements determine effective stem cell numbers in the intestine}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41586-022-04962-0},
  volume       = {607},
  year         = {2022},
}

@article{12277,
  abstract     = {Cell migration in confining physiological environments relies on the concerted dynamics of several cellular components, including protrusions, adhesions with the environment, and the cell nucleus. However, it remains poorly understood how the dynamic interplay of these components and the cell polarity determine the emergent migration behavior at the cellular scale. Here, we combine data-driven inference with a mechanistic bottom-up approach to develop a model for protrusion and polarity dynamics in confined cell migration, revealing how the cellular dynamics adapt to confining geometries. Specifically, we use experimental data of joint protrusion-nucleus migration trajectories of cells on confining micropatterns to systematically determine a mechanistic model linking the stochastic dynamics of cell polarity, protrusions, and nucleus. This model indicates that the cellular dynamics adapt to confining constrictions through a switch in the polarity dynamics from a negative to a positive self-reinforcing feedback loop. Our model further reveals how this feedback loop leads to stereotypical cycles of protrusion-nucleus dynamics that drive the migration of the cell through constrictions. These cycles are disrupted upon perturbation of cytoskeletal components, indicating that the positive feedback is controlled by cellular migration mechanisms. Our data-driven theoretical approach therefore identifies polarity feedback adaptation as a key mechanism in confined cell migration.},
  author       = {Brückner, David and Schmitt, Matthew and Fink, Alexandra and Ladurner, Georg and Flommersfeld, Johannes and Arlt, Nicolas and Hannezo, Edouard B and Rädler, Joachim O. and Broedersz, Chase P.},
  issn         = {2160-3308},
  journal      = {Physical Review X},
  keywords     = {General Physics and Astronomy},
  number       = {3},
  publisher    = {American Physical Society},
  title        = {{Geometry adaptation of protrusion and polarity dynamics in confined cell migration}},
  doi          = {10.1103/physrevx.12.031041},
  volume       = {12},
  year         = {2022},
}

@article{9794,
  abstract     = {Lymph nodes (LNs) comprise two main structural elements: fibroblastic reticular cells that form dedicated niches for immune cell interaction and capsular fibroblasts that build a shell around the organ. Immunological challenge causes LNs to increase more than tenfold in size within a few days. Here, we characterized the biomechanics of LN swelling on the cellular and organ scale. We identified lymphocyte trapping by influx and proliferation as drivers of an outward pressure force, causing fibroblastic reticular cells of the T-zone (TRCs) and their associated conduits to stretch. After an initial phase of relaxation, TRCs sensed the resulting strain through cell matrix adhesions, which coordinated local growth and remodeling of the stromal network. While the expanded TRC network readopted its typical configuration, a massive fibrotic reaction of the organ capsule set in and countered further organ expansion. Thus, different fibroblast populations mechanically control LN swelling in a multitier fashion.},
  author       = {Assen, Frank P and Abe, Jun and Hons, Miroslav and Hauschild, Robert and Shamipour, Shayan and Kaufmann, Walter and Costanzo, Tommaso and Krens, Gabriel and Brown, Markus and Ludewig, Burkhard and Hippenmeyer, Simon and Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp J and Weninger, Wolfgang and Hannezo, Edouard B and Luther, Sanjiv A. and Stein, Jens V. and Sixt, Michael K},
  issn         = {1529-2916},
  journal      = {Nature Immunology},
  pages        = {1246--1255},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Multitier mechanics control stromal adaptations in swelling lymph nodes}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41590-022-01257-4},
  volume       = {23},
  year         = {2022},
}

@article{8602,
  abstract     = {Collective cell migration offers a rich field of study for non-equilibrium physics and cellular biology, revealing phenomena such as glassy dynamics, pattern formation and active turbulence. However, how mechanical and chemical signalling are integrated at the cellular level to give rise to such collective behaviours remains unclear. We address this by focusing on the highly conserved phenomenon of spatiotemporal waves of density and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation, which appear both in vitro and in vivo during collective cell migration and wound healing. First, we propose a biophysical theory, backed by mechanical and optogenetic perturbation experiments, showing that patterns can be quantitatively explained by a mechanochemical coupling between active cellular tensions and the mechanosensitive ERK pathway. Next, we demonstrate how this biophysical mechanism can robustly induce long-ranged order and migration in a desired orientation, and we determine the theoretically optimal wavelength and period for inducing maximal migration towards free edges, which fits well with experimentally observed dynamics. We thereby provide a bridge between the biophysical origin of spatiotemporal instabilities and the design principles of robust and efficient long-ranged migration.},
  author       = {Boocock, Daniel R and Hino, Naoya and Ruzickova, Natalia and Hirashima, Tsuyoshi and Hannezo, Edouard B},
  issn         = {17452481},
  journal      = {Nature Physics},
  pages        = {267--274},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Theory of mechanochemical patterning and optimal migration in cell monolayers}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41567-020-01037-7},
  volume       = {17},
  year         = {2021},
}

@misc{13058,
  abstract     = {The zip file includes source data used in the main text of the manuscript "Theory of branching morphogenesis by local interactions and global guidance", as well as a representative Jupyter notebook to reproduce the main figures. A sample script for the simulations of branching and annihilating random walks is also included (Sample_script_for_simulations_of_BARWs.ipynb) to generate exemplary branched networks under external guidance. A detailed description of the simulation setup is provided in the supplementary information of the manuscipt.},
  author       = {Ucar, Mehmet C},
  publisher    = {Zenodo},
  title        = {{Source data for the manuscript "Theory of branching morphogenesis by local interactions and global guidance"}},
  doi          = {10.5281/ZENODO.5257160},
  year         = {2021},
}

@misc{13068,
  abstract     = {Source data and source code for the graphs in "Spatiotemporal dynamics of self-organized branching pancreatic cancer-derived organoids".},
  author       = {Randriamanantsoa, Samuel and Papargyriou, Aristeidis and Maurer, Carlo and Peschke, Katja and Schuster, Maximilian and Zecchin, Giulia and Steiger, Katja and Öllinger, Rupert and Saur, Dieter and Scheel, Christina and Rad, Roland and Hannezo, Edouard B and Reichert, Maximilian and Bausch, Andreas R.},
  publisher    = {Zenodo},
  title        = {{Spatiotemporal dynamics of self-organized branching in pancreas-derived organoids}},
  doi          = {10.5281/ZENODO.5148117},
  year         = {2021},
}

@article{9244,
  abstract     = {Organ function depends on tissues adopting the correct architecture. However, insights into organ architecture are currently hampered by an absence of standardized quantitative 3D analysis. We aimed to develop a robust technology to visualize, digitalize, and segment the architecture of two tubular systems in 3D: double resin casting micro computed tomography (DUCT). As proof of principle, we applied DUCT to a mouse model for Alagille syndrome (Jag1Ndr/Ndr mice), characterized by intrahepatic bile duct paucity, that can spontaneously generate a biliary system in adulthood. DUCT identified increased central biliary branching and peripheral bile duct tortuosity as two compensatory processes occurring in distinct regions of Jag1Ndr/Ndr liver, leading to full reconstitution of wild-type biliary volume and phenotypic recovery. DUCT is thus a powerful new technology for 3D analysis, which can reveal novel phenotypes and provide a standardized method of defining liver architecture in mouse models.},
  author       = {Hankeova, Simona and Salplachta, Jakub and Zikmund, Tomas and Kavkova, Michaela and Van Hul, Noémi and Brinek, Adam and Smekalova, Veronika and Laznovsky, Jakub and Dawit, Feven and Jaros, Josef and Bryja, Vítězslav and Lendahl, Urban and Ellis, Ewa and Nemeth, Antal and Fischler, Björn and Hannezo, Edouard B and Kaiser, Jozef and Andersson, Emma Rachel},
  issn         = {2050084X},
  journal      = {eLife},
  publisher    = {eLife Sciences Publications},
  title        = {{DUCT reveals architectural mechanisms contributing to bile duct recovery in a mouse model for alagille syndrome}},
  doi          = {10.7554/eLife.60916},
  volume       = {10},
  year         = {2021},
}

@article{9306,
  abstract     = {Assemblies of actin and its regulators underlie the dynamic morphology of all eukaryotic cells. To understand how actin regulatory proteins work together to generate actin-rich structures such as filopodia, we analyzed the localization of diverse actin regulators within filopodia in Drosophila embryos and in a complementary in vitro system of filopodia-like structures (FLSs). We found that the composition of the regulatory protein complex where actin is incorporated (the filopodial tip complex) is remarkably heterogeneous both in vivo and in vitro. Our data reveal that different pairs of proteins correlate with each other and with actin bundle length, suggesting the presence of functional subcomplexes. This is consistent with a theoretical framework where three or more redundant subcomplexes join the tip complex stochastically, with any two being sufficient to drive filopodia formation. We provide an explanation for the observed heterogeneity and suggest that a mechanism based on multiple components allows stereotypical filopodial dynamics to arise from diverse upstream signaling pathways.},
  author       = {Dobramysl, Ulrich and Jarsch, Iris Katharina and Inoue, Yoshiko and Shimo, Hanae and Richier, Benjamin and Gadsby, Jonathan R. and Mason, Julia and Szałapak, Alicja and Ioannou, Pantelis Savvas and Correia, Guilherme Pereira and Walrant, Astrid and Butler, Richard and Hannezo, Edouard B and Simons, Benjamin D. and Gallop, Jennifer L.},
  issn         = {15408140},
  journal      = {Journal of Cell Biology},
  number       = {4},
  publisher    = {Rockefeller University Press},
  title        = {{Stochastic combinations of actin regulatory proteins are sufficient to drive filopodia formation}},
  doi          = {10.1083/jcb.202003052},
  volume       = {220},
  year         = {2021},
}

@article{9316,
  abstract     = {Embryo morphogenesis is impacted by dynamic changes in tissue material properties, which have been proposed to occur via processes akin to phase transitions (PTs). Here, we show that rigidity percolation provides a simple and robust theoretical framework to predict material/structural PTs of embryonic tissues from local cell connectivity. By using percolation theory, combined with directly monitoring dynamic changes in tissue rheology and cell contact mechanics, we demonstrate that the zebrafish blastoderm undergoes a genuine rigidity PT, brought about by a small reduction in adhesion-dependent cell connectivity below a critical value. We quantitatively predict and experimentally verify hallmarks of PTs, including power-law exponents and associated discontinuities of macroscopic observables. Finally, we show that this uniform PT depends on blastoderm cells undergoing meta-synchronous divisions causing random and, consequently, uniform changes in cell connectivity. Collectively, our theoretical and experimental findings reveal the structural basis of material PTs in an organismal context.},
  author       = {Petridou, Nicoletta and Corominas-Murtra, Bernat and Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp J and Hannezo, Edouard B},
  issn         = {10974172},
  journal      = {Cell},
  number       = {7},
  pages        = {1914--1928.e19},
  publisher    = {Elsevier},
  title        = {{Rigidity percolation uncovers a structural basis for embryonic tissue phase transitions}},
  doi          = {10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.017},
  volume       = {184},
  year         = {2021},
}

@article{9349,
  abstract     = {The way in which interactions between mechanics and biochemistry lead to the emergence of complex cell and tissue organization is an old question that has recently attracted renewed interest from biologists, physicists, mathematicians and computer scientists. Rapid advances in optical physics, microscopy and computational image analysis have greatly enhanced our ability to observe and quantify spatiotemporal patterns of signalling, force generation, deformation, and flow in living cells and tissues. Powerful new tools for genetic, biophysical and optogenetic manipulation are allowing us to perturb the underlying machinery that generates these patterns in increasingly sophisticated ways. Rapid advances in theory and computing have made it possible to construct predictive models that describe how cell and tissue organization and dynamics emerge from the local coupling of biochemistry and mechanics. Together, these advances have opened up a wealth of new opportunities to explore how mechanochemical patterning shapes organismal development. In this roadmap, we present a series of forward-looking case studies on mechanochemical patterning in development, written by scientists working at the interface between the physical and biological sciences, and covering a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, organisms, and modes of development. Together, these contributions highlight the many ways in which the dynamic coupling of mechanics and biochemistry shapes biological dynamics: from mechanoenzymes that sense force to tune their activity and motor output, to collectives of cells in tissues that flow and redistribute biochemical signals during development.},
  author       = {Lenne, Pierre François and Munro, Edwin and Heemskerk, Idse and Warmflash, Aryeh and Bocanegra, Laura and Kishi, Kasumi and Kicheva, Anna and Long, Yuchen and Fruleux, Antoine and Boudaoud, Arezki and Saunders, Timothy E. and Caldarelli, Paolo and Michaut, Arthur and Gros, Jerome and Maroudas-Sacks, Yonit and Keren, Kinneret and Hannezo, Edouard B and Gartner, Zev J. and Stormo, Benjamin and Gladfelter, Amy and Rodrigues, Alan and Shyer, Amy and Minc, Nicolas and Maître, Jean Léon and Di Talia, Stefano and Khamaisi, Bassma and Sprinzak, David and Tlili, Sham},
  issn         = {1478-3975},
  journal      = {Physical biology},
  number       = {4},
  publisher    = {IOP Publishing},
  title        = {{Roadmap for the multiscale coupling of biochemical and mechanical signals during development}},
  doi          = {10.1088/1478-3975/abd0db},
  volume       = {18},
  year         = {2021},
}

@article{9629,
  abstract     = {Intestinal organoids derived from single cells undergo complex crypt–villus patterning and morphogenesis. However, the nature and coordination of the underlying forces remains poorly characterized. Here, using light-sheet microscopy and large-scale imaging quantification, we demonstrate that crypt formation coincides with a stark reduction in lumen volume. We develop a 3D biophysical model to computationally screen different mechanical scenarios of crypt morphogenesis. Combining this with live-imaging data and multiple mechanical perturbations, we show that actomyosin-driven crypt apical contraction and villus basal tension work synergistically with lumen volume reduction to drive crypt morphogenesis, and demonstrate the existence of a critical point in differential tensions above which crypt morphology becomes robust to volume changes. Finally, we identified a sodium/glucose cotransporter that is specific to differentiated enterocytes that modulates lumen volume reduction through cell swelling in the villus region. Together, our study uncovers the cellular basis of how cell fate modulates osmotic and actomyosin forces to coordinate robust morphogenesis.},
  author       = {Yang, Qiutan and Xue, Shi-lei and Chan, Chii Jou and Rempfler, Markus and Vischi, Dario and Maurer-Gutierrez, Francisca and Hiiragi, Takashi and Hannezo, Edouard B and Liberali, Prisca},
  issn         = {1476-4679},
  journal      = {Nature Cell Biology},
  pages        = {733–744},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Cell fate coordinates mechano-osmotic forces in intestinal crypt formation}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41556-021-00700-2},
  volume       = {23},
  year         = {2021},
}

@article{10178,
  abstract     = {In dense biological tissues, cell types performing different roles remain segregated by maintaining sharp interfaces. To better understand the mechanisms for such sharp compartmentalization, we study the effect of an imposed heterotypic tension at the interface between two distinct cell types in a fully 3D Voronoi model for confluent tissues. We find that cells rapidly sort and self-organize to generate a tissue-scale interface between cell types, and cells adjacent to this interface exhibit signature geometric features including nematic-like ordering, bimodal facet areas, and registration, or alignment, of cell centers on either side of the two-tissue interface. The magnitude of these features scales directly with the magnitude of the imposed tension, suggesting that biologists can estimate the magnitude of tissue surface tension between two tissue types simply by segmenting a 3D tissue. To uncover the underlying physical mechanisms driving these geometric features, we develop two minimal, ordered models using two different underlying lattices that identify an energetic competition between bulk cell shapes and tissue interface area. When the interface area dominates, changes to neighbor topology are costly and occur less frequently, which generates the observed geometric features.},
  author       = {Sahu, Preeti and Schwarz, J. M. and Manning, M. Lisa},
  issn         = {13672630},
  journal      = {New Journal of Physics},
  number       = {9},
  publisher    = {IOP Publishing},
  title        = {{Geometric signatures of tissue surface tension in a three-dimensional model of confluent tissue}},
  doi          = {10.1088/1367-2630/ac23f1},
  volume       = {23},
  year         = {2021},
}

@article{10365,
  abstract     = {The early development of many organisms involves the folding of cell monolayers, but this behaviour is difficult to reproduce in vitro; therefore, both mechanistic causes and effects of local curvature remain unclear. Here we study epithelial cell monolayers on corrugated hydrogels engineered into wavy patterns, examining how concave and convex curvatures affect cellular and nuclear shape. We find that substrate curvature affects monolayer thickness, which is larger in valleys than crests. We show that this feature generically arises in a vertex model, leading to the hypothesis that cells may sense curvature by modifying the thickness of the tissue. We find that local curvature also affects nuclear morphology and positioning, which we explain by extending the vertex model to take into account membrane–nucleus interactions, encoding thickness modulation in changes to nuclear deformation and position. We propose that curvature governs the spatial distribution of yes-associated proteins via nuclear shape and density changes. We show that curvature also induces significant variations in lamins, chromatin condensation and cell proliferation rate in folded epithelial tissues. Together, this work identifies active cell mechanics and nuclear mechanoadaptation as the key players of the mechanistic regulation of epithelia to substrate curvature.},
  author       = {Luciano, Marine and Xue, Shi-lei and De Vos, Winnok H. and Redondo-Morata, Lorena and Surin, Mathieu and Lafont, Frank and Hannezo, Edouard B and Gabriele, Sylvain},
  issn         = {1745-2481},
  journal      = {Nature Physics},
  number       = {12},
  pages        = {1382–1390},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Cell monolayers sense curvature by exploiting active mechanics and nuclear mechanoadaptation}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41567-021-01374-1},
  volume       = {17},
  year         = {2021},
}

@article{10402,
  abstract     = {Branching morphogenesis governs the formation of many organs such as lung, kidney, and the neurovascular system. Many studies have explored system-specific molecular and cellular regulatory mechanisms, as well as self-organizing rules underlying branching morphogenesis. However, in addition to local cues, branched tissue growth can also be influenced by global guidance. Here, we develop a theoretical framework for a stochastic self-organized branching process in the presence of external cues. Combining analytical theory with numerical simulations, we predict differential signatures of global vs. local regulatory mechanisms on the branching pattern, such as angle distributions, domain size, and space-filling efficiency. We find that branch alignment follows a generic scaling law determined by the strength of global guidance, while local interactions influence the tissue density but not its overall territory. Finally, using zebrafish innervation as a model system, we test these key features of the model experimentally. Our work thus provides quantitative predictions to disentangle the role of different types of cues in shaping branched structures across scales.},
  author       = {Ucar, Mehmet C and Kamenev, Dmitrii and Sunadome, Kazunori and Fachet, Dominik C and Lallemend, Francois and Adameyko, Igor and Hadjab, Saida and Hannezo, Edouard B},
  issn         = {2041-1723},
  journal      = {Nature Communications},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Theory of branching morphogenesis by local interactions and global guidance}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41467-021-27135-5},
  volume       = {12},
  year         = {2021},
}

@article{10573,
  abstract     = {How tissues acquire complex shapes is a fundamental question in biology and regenerative medicine. Zebrafish semicircular canals form from invaginations in the otic epithelium (buds) that extend and fuse to form the hubs of each canal. We find that conventional actomyosin-driven behaviors are not required. Instead, local secretion of hyaluronan, made by the enzymes uridine 5′-diphosphate dehydrogenase (ugdh) and hyaluronan synthase 3 (has3), drives canal morphogenesis. Charged hyaluronate polymers osmotically swell with water and generate isotropic extracellular pressure to deform the overlying epithelium into buds. The mechanical anisotropy needed to shape buds into tubes is conferred by a polarized distribution of actomyosin and E-cadherin-rich membrane tethers, which we term cytocinches. Most work on tissue morphogenesis ascribes actomyosin contractility as the driving force, while the extracellular matrix shapes tissues through differential stiffness. Our work inverts this expectation. Hyaluronate pressure shaped by anisotropic tissue stiffness may be a widespread mechanism for powering morphological change in organogenesis and tissue engineering.},
  author       = {Munjal, Akankshi and Hannezo, Edouard B and Tsai, Tony Y.C. and Mitchison, Timothy J. and Megason, Sean G.},
  issn         = {1097-4172},
  journal      = {Cell},
  number       = {26},
  pages        = {6313--6325.e18},
  publisher    = {Elsevier ; Cell Press},
  title        = {{Extracellular hyaluronate pressure shaped by cellular tethers drives tissue morphogenesis}},
  doi          = {10.1016/j.cell.2021.11.025},
  volume       = {184},
  year         = {2021},
}

@article{9952,
  abstract     = {Proper control of division orientation and symmetry, largely determined by spindle positioning, is essential to development and homeostasis. Spindle positioning has been extensively studied in cells dividing in two-dimensional (2D) environments and in epithelial tissues, where proteins such as NuMA (also known as NUMA1) orient division along the interphase long axis of the cell. However, little is known about how cells control spindle positioning in three-dimensional (3D) environments, such as early mammalian embryos and a variety of adult tissues. Here, we use mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which grow in 3D colonies, as a model to investigate division in 3D. We observe that, at the periphery of 3D colonies, ESCs display high spindle mobility and divide asymmetrically. Our data suggest that enhanced spindle movements are due to unequal distribution of the cell–cell junction protein E-cadherin between future daughter cells. Interestingly, when cells progress towards differentiation, division becomes more symmetric, with more elongated shapes in metaphase and enhanced cortical NuMA recruitment in anaphase. Altogether, this study suggests that in 3D contexts, the geometry of the cell and its contacts with neighbors control division orientation and symmetry.},
  author       = {Chaigne, Agathe and Smith, Matthew B. and Cavestany, R. L. and Hannezo, Edouard B and Chalut, Kevin J. and Paluch, Ewa K.},
  issn         = {14779137},
  journal      = {Journal of Cell Science},
  number       = {14},
  publisher    = {The Company of Biologists},
  title        = {{Three-dimensional geometry controls division symmetry in stem cell colonies}},
  doi          = {10.1242/jcs.255018},
  volume       = {134},
  year         = {2021},
}

