Letter abstract
Nature Cell Biology 11, 859 - 864 (2009)
Published online: 7 June 2009 | doi:10.1038/ncb1894
Cell shape changes indicate a role for extrinsic tensile forces in Drosophila germ-band extension
Lucy C. Butler1,7, Guy B. Blanchard1,7, Alexandre J. Kabla2, Nicola J. Lawrence3, David P. Welchman4, L. Mahadevan5,6, Richard J. Adams1 & Benedicte Sanson1
Drosophila germ-band extension (GBE) is an example of the convergence and extension movements that elongate and narrow embryonic tissues. To understand the collective cell behaviours underlying tissue morphogenesis, we have continuously quantified cell intercalation and cell shape change during GBE. We show that the fast, early phase of GBE depends on cell shape change in addition to cell intercalation. In antero-posterior patterning mutants such as those for the gap gene Krüppel, defective polarized cell intercalation is compensated for by an increase in antero-posterior cell elongation, such that the initial rate of extension remains the same. Spatio-temporal patterns of cell behaviours indicate that an antero-posterior tensile force deforms the germ band, causing the cells to change shape passively. The rate of antero-posterior cell elongation is reduced in twist mutant embryos, which lack mesoderm. We propose that cell shape change contributing to germ-band extension is a passive response to mechanical forces caused by the invaginating mesoderm.
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK.
- Engineering Department, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK.
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK.
- Global Health Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
- These two authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Benedicte Sanson1 e-mail: bs251@cam.ac.uk
MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS
These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.
NEWS AND VIEWS
Twist and shoutNature Genetics News and Views (01 Jan 1997)
Strabismus shows the wayNature Genetics News and Views (01 Aug 2002)
See all 4 matches for News And ViewsRESEARCH
Tissue tectonics: morphogenetic strain rates, cell shape change and intercalationNature Methods Article (01 Jun 2009)
See all 50 matches for Research
