title: Force generation, transmission, and integration during cell and tissue morphogenesis.
abstract: Cell shape changes underlie a large set of biological processes ranging from cell division to cell motility. Stereotyped patterns of cell shape changes also determine tissue remodeling events such as extension or invagination. In vitro and cell culture systems have been essential to understanding the fundamental physical principles of subcellular mechanics. These are now complemented by studies in developing organisms that emphasize how cell and tissue morphogenesis emerge from the interplay between force-generating machines, such as actomyosin networks, and adhesive clusters that transmit tensile forces at the cell cortex and stabilize cell-cell and cell-substrate interfaces. Both force production and transmission are self-organizing phenomena whose adaptive features are essential during tissue morphogenesis. A new era is opening that emphasizes the similarities of and allows comparisons between distant dynamic biological phenomena because they rely on core machineries that control universal features of cytomechanics.
authors: Developmental Biology Institute of Marseilles-Luminy, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de la Méditerranée, 13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France. thomas.lecuit@univmed.fr
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Lecuit
authors: Pierre-François
authors: PF
authors: Lenne
authors: Edwin
authors: E
authors: Munro
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D051376:Actin-Related Protein 2-3 Complex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D048430:Cell Shape; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism*; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D024462:Myosin Type II / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D051376:Actin-Related Protein 2-3 Complex; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D024462:Myosin Type II