Work

Proliferation symmetry breaking in growing tissues

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Morphogenesis of developing tissues results from anisotropic growth, typically driven by polarized patterns of gene expression. Here we propose an alternative model of anisotropic growth driven by self-organized feedback between cell polarity, mechanical pressure, and cell division rates. Specifically, cell polarity alignment can induce spontaneous symmetry breaking in proliferation, resulting from the anisotropic distribution of mechanical pressure in the tissue. We show that proliferation anisotropy can be controlled by cellular elasticity, motility and contact inhibition, thereby elucidating the design principles for anisotropic morphogenesis.

Source: Physical Review Research

DOI: 10.1103/jgll-wsvt

Authors: Xinzhi Li, Aniruddha Datta, Shiladitya Banerjee

Institution: Carnegie Mellon University

Language: English

Topic: Cellular Mechanics and Interactions

Subfield: Cell Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,625

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences