| First Author | Tao H | Year | 2019 |
| Journal | Nat Commun | Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 1703 |
| PubMed ID | 30979871 | Mgi Jnum | J:275566 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6305612 | Doi | 10.1038/s41467-019-09540-z |
| Citation | Tao H, et al. (2019) Oscillatory cortical forces promote three dimensional cell intercalations that shape the murine mandibular arch. Nat Commun 10(1):1703 |
| abstractText | Multiple vertebrate embryonic structures such as organ primordia are composed of confluent cells. Although mechanisms that shape tissue sheets are increasingly understood, those which shape a volume of cells remain obscure. Here we show that 3D mesenchymal cell intercalations are essential to shape the mandibular arch of the mouse embryo. Using a genetically encoded vinculin tension sensor that we knock-in to the mouse genome, we show that cortical force oscillations promote these intercalations. Genetic loss- and gain-of-function approaches show that Wnt5a functions as a spatial cue to coordinate cell polarity and cytoskeletal oscillation. These processes diminish tissue rigidity and help cells to overcome the energy barrier to intercalation. YAP/TAZ and PIEZO1 serve as downstream effectors of Wnt5a-mediated actomyosin polarity and cytosolic calcium transients that orient and drive mesenchymal cell intercalations. These findings advance our understanding of how developmental pathways regulate biophysical properties and forces to shape a solid organ primordium. |
