Self-propagating wave drives morphogenesis of skull bones in vivo
Abstract Cellular motion is a key feature of tissue morphogenesis and is often driven by migration. However, migration need not explain cell motion in contexts where there is little free space or no obvious substrate, such as those found during organogenesis of mesenchymal organs including the embry...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59164-9 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849729074195333120 |
|---|---|
| author | Yiteng Dang Johanna Lattner Adrian A. Lahola-Chomiak Diana Alves Afonso Elke Ulbricht Anna Taubenberger Steffen Rulands Jacqueline M. Tabler |
| author_facet | Yiteng Dang Johanna Lattner Adrian A. Lahola-Chomiak Diana Alves Afonso Elke Ulbricht Anna Taubenberger Steffen Rulands Jacqueline M. Tabler |
| author_sort | Yiteng Dang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Cellular motion is a key feature of tissue morphogenesis and is often driven by migration. However, migration need not explain cell motion in contexts where there is little free space or no obvious substrate, such as those found during organogenesis of mesenchymal organs including the embryonic skull. Through ex vivo imaging, biophysical modeling, and perturbation experiments, we find that mechanical feedback between cell fate and stiffness drives bone expansion and controls bone size in vivo. This mechanical feedback system is sufficient to propagate a wave of differentiation that establishes a collagen gradient which we find sufficient to describe patterns of osteoblast motion. Our work provides a mechanism for coordinated motion that may not rely upon cell migration but on emergent properties of the mesenchymal collective. Identification of such alternative mechanisms of mechanochemical coupling between differentiation and morphogenesis will help in understanding how directed cellular motility arises in complex environments with inhomogeneous material properties. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-efca3b6b3f184fd0b0fc33739bf40bb1 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-efca3b6b3f184fd0b0fc33739bf40bb12025-08-20T03:09:19ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-05-0116111110.1038/s41467-025-59164-9Self-propagating wave drives morphogenesis of skull bones in vivoYiteng Dang0Johanna Lattner1Adrian A. Lahola-Chomiak2Diana Alves Afonso3Elke Ulbricht4Anna Taubenberger5Steffen Rulands6Jacqueline M. Tabler7Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsMax Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsMax Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsMax Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsBiotechnology Center (BIOTEC)Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC)Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex SystemsMax Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsAbstract Cellular motion is a key feature of tissue morphogenesis and is often driven by migration. However, migration need not explain cell motion in contexts where there is little free space or no obvious substrate, such as those found during organogenesis of mesenchymal organs including the embryonic skull. Through ex vivo imaging, biophysical modeling, and perturbation experiments, we find that mechanical feedback between cell fate and stiffness drives bone expansion and controls bone size in vivo. This mechanical feedback system is sufficient to propagate a wave of differentiation that establishes a collagen gradient which we find sufficient to describe patterns of osteoblast motion. Our work provides a mechanism for coordinated motion that may not rely upon cell migration but on emergent properties of the mesenchymal collective. Identification of such alternative mechanisms of mechanochemical coupling between differentiation and morphogenesis will help in understanding how directed cellular motility arises in complex environments with inhomogeneous material properties.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59164-9 |
| spellingShingle | Yiteng Dang Johanna Lattner Adrian A. Lahola-Chomiak Diana Alves Afonso Elke Ulbricht Anna Taubenberger Steffen Rulands Jacqueline M. Tabler Self-propagating wave drives morphogenesis of skull bones in vivo Nature Communications |
| title | Self-propagating wave drives morphogenesis of skull bones in vivo |
| title_full | Self-propagating wave drives morphogenesis of skull bones in vivo |
| title_fullStr | Self-propagating wave drives morphogenesis of skull bones in vivo |
| title_full_unstemmed | Self-propagating wave drives morphogenesis of skull bones in vivo |
| title_short | Self-propagating wave drives morphogenesis of skull bones in vivo |
| title_sort | self propagating wave drives morphogenesis of skull bones in vivo |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59164-9 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yitengdang selfpropagatingwavedrivesmorphogenesisofskullbonesinvivo AT johannalattner selfpropagatingwavedrivesmorphogenesisofskullbonesinvivo AT adrianalaholachomiak selfpropagatingwavedrivesmorphogenesisofskullbonesinvivo AT dianaalvesafonso selfpropagatingwavedrivesmorphogenesisofskullbonesinvivo AT elkeulbricht selfpropagatingwavedrivesmorphogenesisofskullbonesinvivo AT annataubenberger selfpropagatingwavedrivesmorphogenesisofskullbonesinvivo AT steffenrulands selfpropagatingwavedrivesmorphogenesisofskullbonesinvivo AT jacquelinemtabler selfpropagatingwavedrivesmorphogenesisofskullbonesinvivo |