Advances in mechanochemical modelling of vertebrate gastrulation

TY - JOUR

T1 - Advances in mechanochemical modelling of vertebrate gastrulation

AU - Plum, Alex M.

AU - Serra, Mattia

AU - Weijer, Cornelis J.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s).

PY - 2025/8

Y1 - 2025/8

N2 - Gastrulation is an essential process in the early embryonic development of all higher animals. During gastrulation, the three embryonic germ layers, the ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm, form and move to their correct positions in the developing embryo. This process requires the integration of cell division, differentiation and movement of thousands of cells. These cell behaviours are coordinated through short-and long-range signalling and must involve feedback to execute gastrulation in a reproducible and robust manner. Mechanosensitive signalling pathways and processes are being uncovered, revealing that short-and long-range mechanical stresses integrate cell behaviours at the tissue and organism scale. Because the interactions between cell behaviours, signalling and feedback are complex, combining experimental and modelling approaches is necessary to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms that drive development. We highlight how recent experimental and theoretical studies provided key insights into mechanical feedback that coordinates relevant cell behaviours at the organism scale during gastrulation. We outline advances in modelling the mechanochemical processes controlling primitive streak formation in the early avian embryo and discuss future developments.

AB - Gastrulation is an essential process in the early embryonic development of all higher animals. During gastrulation, the three embryonic germ layers, the ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm, form and move to their correct positions in the developing embryo. This process requires the integration of cell division, differentiation and movement of thousands of cells. These cell behaviours are coordinated through short-and long-range signalling and must involve feedback to execute gastrulation in a reproducible and robust manner. Mechanosensitive signalling pathways and processes are being uncovered, revealing that short-and long-range mechanical stresses integrate cell behaviours at the tissue and organism scale. Because the interactions between cell behaviours, signalling and feedback are complex, combining experimental and modelling approaches is necessary to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms that drive development. We highlight how recent experimental and theoretical studies provided key insights into mechanical feedback that coordinates relevant cell behaviours at the organism scale during gastrulation. We outline advances in modelling the mechanochemical processes controlling primitive streak formation in the early avian embryo and discuss future developments.

KW - biological models

KW - biophysics

KW - computational biology

KW - developmental biology

KW - systems biology

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105015450763

U2 - 10.1042/BST20240469

DO - 10.1042/BST20240469

M3 - Review article

C2 - 40700026

SN - 0300-5127

VL - 53

SP - 871

EP - 880

JO - Biochemical Society Transactions

JF - Biochemical Society Transactions

IS - 4

ER -