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BIOLOGICAL PHYSICS

Connected development

Nature Physics volume 14, pages 975–976 (2018)Cite this article

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Mapping cell lineages onto a problem in graph theory suggests that physical principles regulate cell positioning during egg development in the fruit fly — providing an elegant example of how physics can advance our understanding of biology.

Embryonic development is a complex process. Its proper progression requires precise orchestration: even small deviations from the developmental plan, such as the misexpression of a single gene or misplacement of a few cells, can result in defects that are catastrophic for the organism. Yet development is remarkably robust and occurs without fault with extraordinary regularity throughout the plant and animal kingdoms, from the simplest Volvox algae to humans. The source of this robustness is a central question of developmental biology, and one of the great mysteries of life. Now, writing in Nature Physics, Jasmin Imran Alsous and co-workers1 have used experiment and theory to show how geometric constraints regulate cell positioning during egg development in the fruit fly. Their work illustrates how physical principles can interact with cellular mechanisms to guide development along a reliable trajectory.

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Fig. 1: The geometry of the egg chamber.

References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

    Ben D. MacArthur

  2. Mathematical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

    Ben D. MacArthur

  3. Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

    Ben D. MacArthur

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  1. Ben D. MacArthur
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Correspondence to Ben D. MacArthur.

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MacArthur, B.D. Connected development. Nature Phys 14, 975–976 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-018-0236-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-018-0236-3

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