Cargando…
Patterning and folding of intestinal villi by active mesenchymal dewetting
Tissue folding generates structural motifs critical to organ function. In the intestine, bending of a flat epithelium into a periodic pattern of folds gives rise to villi, the numerous finger-like protrusions that are essential for nutrient absorption. However, the molecular and mechanical mechanism...
Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
2023
|
Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10326967/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37425793 http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2023.06.25.546328 |
Sumario: | Tissue folding generates structural motifs critical to organ function. In the intestine, bending of a flat epithelium into a periodic pattern of folds gives rise to villi, the numerous finger-like protrusions that are essential for nutrient absorption. However, the molecular and mechanical mechanisms driving the initiation and morphogenesis of villi remain a matter of debate. Here, we identify an active mechanical mechanism that simultaneously patterns and folds intestinal villi. We find that PDGFRA+ subepithelial mesenchymal cells generate myosin II-dependent forces sufficient to produce patterned curvature in neighboring tissue interfaces. At the cell-level, this occurs through a process dependent upon matrix metalloproteinase-mediated tissue fluidization and altered cell-ECM adhesion. By combining computational models with in vivo experiments, we reveal these cellular features manifest at the tissue-level as differences in interfacial tensions that promote mesenchymal aggregation and interface bending through a process analogous to the active de-wetting of a thin liquid film. |
---|