Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Morphogenesis

Laying down the tracks

Subjects

To drive the formation of tubular structures, cells remodel their extracellular microenvironment to induce coordinated migration. It is now found that a mechanical feedback loop, involving the interaction of cell traction forces with collagen fibres, facilitates the formation of long epithelial tubules.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Collective cell migration and tubule formation.

References

  1. DuFort, C. C. et al. Nature Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 12, 308–319 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Paszek, M. J. et al. Cancer Cell 8, 241–254 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Lu, P. et al. Cold Spring Harbor Perspect. Biol. 3, a005058 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Guo, C-L. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 109, 5576–5582 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Metzger, R. & Krasnow, M. Science 284, 1635–1639 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Yamada, K. M. & Cukierman, E. Cell 130, 601–610 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Page-McCaw, A. et al. Nature Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 8, 221–233 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Ingman, W. V. et al. Dev. Dyn. 235, 3222–3229 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Levental, K. R. et al. Cell 139, 891–906 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Mori, H. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 106, 14890–14895 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Valerie M. Weaver.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cassereau, L., DuFort, C. & Weaver, V. Laying down the tracks. Nature Mater 11, 490–492 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat3345

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat3345

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing: Translational Research

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Translational Research newsletter — top stories in biotechnology, drug discovery and pharma.

Get what matters in translational research, free to your inbox weekly. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Translational Research