3D viscoelastic drag forces contribute to cell shape changes during organogenesis in the zebrafish embryo.

ABSTRACT: The left-right organizer in zebrafish embryos, Kupffer's Vesicle (KV), is a simple organ that undergoes programmed asymmetric cell shape changes that are necessary to establish the left-right axis of the embryo. We use simulations and experiments to investigate whether 3D mechanical drag forces generated by the posteriorly-directed motion of the KV through the tailbud tissue are sufficient to drive such shape changes. We develop a fully 3D vertex-like (Voronoi) model for the tissue architecture, and demonstrate that the tissue can generate drag forces and drive cell shape changes. Furthermore, we find that tailbud tissue presents a shear-thinning, viscoelastic behavior consistent with those observed in published experiments. We then perform live imaging experiments and particle image veloc

SUBMITTER: Sanematsu PC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8758797 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature