PUBLICATION

A toolbox to explore the mechanics of living embryonic tissues

Authors
Campàs, O.
ID
ZDB-PUB-191122-9
Date
2016
Source
Seminars in cell & developmental biology   55: 119-30 (Review)
Registered Authors
Campas, Otger
Keywords
Biophysics, Cellular force, Embryonic development, Mechanobiology, Mechanotransduction, Morphogenesis, Tissue mechanics
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Embryo, Mammalian/metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Mechanotransduction, Cellular*
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force
  • Models, Biological
  • Rheology
  • Stress, Mechanical
PubMed
27061360 Full text @ Sem. Cell Dev. Biol.
Abstract
The sculpting of embryonic tissues and organs into their functional morphologies involves the spatial and temporal regulation of mechanics at cell and tissue scales. Decades of in vitro work, complemented by some in vivo studies, have shown the relevance of mechanical cues in the control of cell behaviors that are central to developmental processes, but the lack of methodologies enabling precise, quantitative measurements of mechanical cues in vivo have hindered our understanding of the role of mechanics in embryonic development. Several methodologies are starting to enable quantitative studies of mechanics in vivo and in situ, opening new avenues to explore how mechanics contributes to shaping embryonic tissues and how it affects cell behavior within developing embryos. Here we review the present methodologies to study the role of mechanics in living embryonic tissues, considering their strengths and drawbacks as well as the conditions in which they are most suitable.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping