Summary
Published in Communications Biology (2023), this peer-reviewed study used 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds to form scaffold-free 3D microtissues. Full citation: Méhes, Elod, et al. 3D cell segregation geometry and dynamics are governed by tissue surface tension regulation
3D cell segregation geometry and dynamics are governed by tissue surface tension regulation
Research Overview
During development, cell types sort themselves into distinct tissues, driven by differences in tissue surface tension that arise from adhesion and actomyosin-based cortical tension. This study used vertebrate tissue cell types and zebrafish germ-layer progenitors as 3D heterotypic segregation models, with quantitative analysis of 3D time-lapse microscopy.
General inhibition of actomyosin contractility with the Rho kinase inhibitor Y27632 delayed segregation. Cell-type-specific inhibition of non-muscle myosin II — by overexpressing the myosin assembly inhibitor S100A4 — lowered tissue surface tension, seen as reduced compaction during aggregation and an inverted final geometry during segregation. Which population ends up inside versus outside is set by the balance of cortical tensions.
Key Discoveries
- Rho kinase inhibition (Y27632) delayed 3D heterotypic cell segregation
- Cell-type-specific myosin II inhibition via S100A4 reduced surface tension and inverted segregation geometry
- Quantitative 3D time-lapse analysis linked cortical tension balance to final tissue arrangement
