Projects per year
Abstract
Gradients of extracellular signals organise cells in tissues. Although there are several models for how gradients can pattern cell behaviour, it is not clear how cells react to gradients when the population is undergoing 3D morphogenesis, in which cell-cell and cell-signal interactions are continually changing. Dictyostelium cells follow gradients of their nutritional source to feed and maintain their undifferentiated state. Using light sheet imaging to simultaneously monitor signaling, single cell and population dynamics, we show that the cells migrate towards nutritional gradients in swarms. As swarms advance, they deposit clumps of cells at the rear, triggering differentiation. Clump deposition is explained by a physical model in which cell swarms behave as active droplets: cells proliferate within the swarm, with clump shedding occurring at a critical population size, at which cells at the rear no longer perceive the gradient and are not retained by the emergent surface tension of the swarm. The droplet model predicts vortex motion of the cells within the swarm emerging from the local transfer of propulsion forces, a prediction validated by 3D tracking of single cells. This active fluid behaviour reveals a developmental mechanism we term textquotedblleftmusical chairstextquotedblright decision-making, in which the decision to proliferate or differentiate is determined by the position of a cell within the group as it bifurcates.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.
Original language | English |
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Number of pages | 47 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 9 Apr 2024 |
Publication series
Name | BioRxiv |
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Publisher | Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press |
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Dive into the research topics of 'Pattern formation along signaling gradients driven by active droplet behaviour of cell groups'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 1 Finished
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Acquisition of a TriSpim Lightsheet Microscope
Gartner, A. (Investigator), Januschke, J. (Investigator), MacDonald, M. (Investigator), Nathke, I. (Investigator), Storey, K. (Investigator), Swedlow, J. (Investigator), Tanaka, T. (Investigator) & Weijer, K. (Investigator)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
15/08/17 → 14/08/18
Project: Research