Abstract

Using a three-dimensional active vertex model, we numerically study the shapes of strained unsupported epithelial monolayers subject to active junctional noise due to stochastic binding and unbinding of myosin. We find that while uniaxial, biaxial, and isotropic in-plane compressive strains do lead to the formation of longitudinal, herringbone pattern, and labyrinthine folds, respectively, the villus morphology characteristic of, e.g., the small intestine appears only if junctional tension fluctuations are strong enough to fluidize the tissue. Moreover, the fluidized epithelium features villi even in the absence of compressive strain provided that the apico-basal differential surface tension is large enough. We analyze several details of the different epithelial forms including the role of strain rate and the modulation of tissue thickness across folds. Our results show that even unsupported, non-patterned epithelia can form nontrivial morphologies.

Graphic abstract

中文翻译：

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压缩活性上皮单层的形态

摘要

使用三维活动顶点模型，我们数值研究了由于肌球蛋白随机结合和解绑而受到活动连接噪声影响的应变无支撑上皮单层的形状。我们发现，虽然单轴、双轴和各向同性平面内压缩应变确实分别导致纵向、人字形和迷宫式褶皱的形成，但只有在连接张力波动为强度足以使组织流化。此外，即使在没有压缩应变的情况下，流化上皮也具有绒毛，前提是顶端-基底差异表面张力足够大。我们分析了不同上皮形式的几个细节，包括应变率的作用和跨褶皱组织厚度的调节。我们的结果表明，即使是不受支持的、无图案的上皮细胞也可以形成非平凡的形态。

图形摘要