title: Quantitative modelling of epithelial morphogenesis: integrating cell mechanics and molecular dynamics.
abstract: Epithelial tissues form and repair in complex processes influenced by molecular and physical factors. Recent years have witnessed the development of new microscopy modalities that push the limits of spatial resolution, and enable long-term monitoring of developing animals. Increasingly, methods from the physical sciences are used to investigate the role of mechanical forces in living organisms. The application of these new technologies to developmental biology has led to ever-expanding volumes of data that must be interpreted and integrated. For these reasons, computer models are being applied to investigate tissue morphogenesis. Here, we discuss the use of vertex models to study the morphogenesis of epithelial tissues. We motivate the use of computational models and consider their advantages and limitations. We provide an introduction to the theoretical foundation of vertex models and describe how they can integrate mechanical and biochemical dynamics. Finally, we review recent advances in the application of vertex models to investigate dorsal closure, a morphogenetic process in the Drosophila embryo with parallels to both embryonic development and wound repair in vertebrate organisms.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G9, Canada.
authors.forename: Jessica C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G9, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada; Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada. Electronic address: rodrigo.fernandez.gonzalez@utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Gonzalez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular; D008954:Models, Biological; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C501889:shg protein, Drosophila
keywords: Cytoskeletal dynamics; Differential equation; Drosophila; Junctional remodelling; Quantitative biology; Vertex model