Tissue mechanics drives regeneration of a mucociliated epidermis on the surface of Xenopus embryonic aggregates

Injury, surgery, and disease often disrupt tissues and it is the process of regeneration that aids the restoration of architecture and function. Regeneration can occur through multiple strategies including stem cell expansion, transdifferentiation, or proliferation of differentiated cells. We have identified a case of regeneration in Xenopus embryonic aggregates that restores a mucociliated epithelium from mesenchymal cells. Following disruption of embryonic tissue architecture and assembly of a compact mesenchymal aggregate, regeneration first restores an epithelium, transitioning from mesenchymal cells at the surface of the aggregate. Cells establish apico-basal polarity within 5 hours and a mucociliated epithelium within 24 hours. Regeneration coincides with nuclear translocation of the putative mechanotransducer YAP1 and a sharp increase in aggregate stiffness, and regeneration can be controlled by altering stiffness. We propose that regeneration of a mucociliated epithelium occurs in response to biophysical cues sensed by newly exposed cells on the surface of a disrupted mesenchymal tissue.