Morphogenesis driven by cell extrusion mechanics
Our lab revealed, through cellular and biophysical studies (1) that apoptotic cells, far from being passively eliminated, actively participate in morphogenesis, through the formation of a contractile actomyosin structure that links the apical surface to the apoptotic nucleus, thus ensuring apoptotic force propagation; and (2) that cells undergoing EMT, generate a surprisingly similar apico-basal force, and contribute mechanically to morphogenesis.
Keywords
Biomechanics of epithelia / morphogenesis / apoptosis / epithelio-mesenchymal transition / in-silico modeling