Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Oriented cell behaviors are recognized as a conserved morphogenetic process that drives tissue shape change. Mouse limb bud ectoderm provides such an example of how cell behaviors are spatially coordinated to generate tissue-scale patterns. To explore the roles of physical forces in ectoderm morphogenesis, this study quantified cell behaviors especially the multicellular rearrangement during early limb bud development. Integrating finite element modelling with in vivo measurement and manipulation of physical forces using atomic force microscopy, laser ablation and time-lapse micropipette aspiration, we revealed that the observed pattern of cellular rearrangement is due to the extrinsic pulling forces generated by the intercalating AER progenitors. In AER defective Fgfr2 mutants, disoriented cell behaviors indicate the loss of tissue-scale forces in the ectoderm but this mutant phenotype can be rescued by an externally applied tension. We also proposed that aPKC polarity underlies the intercalation of AER progenitors and the active pulling forces it generates.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Jun Wen
Language: English
Subfield: Cell Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2547875255