Repulsive cues combined with physical barriers and cell-cell adhesion determine progenitor cell positioning during organogenesis.

ABSTRACT: The precise positioning of organ progenitor cells constitutes an essential, yet poorly understood step during organogenesis. Using primordial germ cells that participate in gonad formation, we present the developmental mechanisms maintaining a motile progenitor cell population at the site where the organ develops. Employing high-resolution live-cell microscopy, we find that repulsive cues coupled with physical barriers confine the cells to the correct bilateral positions. This analysis revealed that cell polarity changes on interaction with the physical barrier and that the establishment of compact clusters involves increased cell-cell interaction time. Using particle-based simulations, we demonstrate the role of reflecting barriers, from which cells turn away on contact, and the importanc

SUBMITTER: Paksa A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4837475 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature