Biology subjects

Buceta, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Buceta, J..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2020

A quantitative principle to understand 3D cellular connectivity in epithelial tubes

Epithelial cell organization and the mechanical stability of tissues are closely related. In this context, it has been recently shown that packing optimization in bended/folded epithelia is achieved by a surface tension energy minimization mechanism that leads to a novel cellular shape: the scutoid. However, further cellular and tissue level implications of this new developmental paradigm remain unknown. Here we focus on the relationship between this complex cellular shape and the connectivity between cells. We address this problem using a combination of computational, experimental, and biophysical approaches in tubular epithelia. In particular, we examine how energy drivers affect the three-dimensional packing of these tissues. We challenge our biophysical model by reducing the cell adhesion in epithelial cells. As a result, we observed an increment on the cell apico-basal intercalation propensity that correlated with a decrease of the energy barrier necessary to connect with new cells. We conclude that tubular epithelia satisfy a quantitative biophysical principle, that links tissue geometry and energetics with the average cellular connectivity.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2020

TiFoSi: an Efficient Tool for Mechanobiology Simulations of Epithelia

AboutThis document is an extended version of the main text where some details and results are fleshed out. Further details can be also found in the manual of the code and at TiFoSis website: http://tifosi.thesimbiosys.com. MotivationEmerging phenomena in developmental biology and tissue engineering are the result of feedbacks between gene expression and cell biomechanics. In that context, in silico experiments are a powerful tool to understand fundamental mechanisms and to formulate and test hypotheses. ResultsHere we present TiFoSi, a computational tool to simulate the cellular dynamics of planar epithelia. TiFoSi allows to model feedbacks between cellular mechanics and gene expression (either in a deterministic or a stochastic way), the interaction between different cell populations, the custom design of the cell cycle and cleavage properties, the protein number partitioning upon cell division, and the modeling of cell communication (juxtacrine and paracrine signalling). TiFoSi fills a niche in the field of software solutions to simulate the mechanobiology of epithelia because of its functionalities, computational efficiency, and its user-friendly approach to design in silico experiments using XML configuration files. Availabilityhttp://tifosi.thesimbiosys.com Contactjbuceta@lehigh.edu

systems biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Self-sustained Planar Intercalations due to Mechanosignaling Feedbacks Lead to Robust Axis Extension during Morphogenesis

Tissue elongation is a necessary process in metazoans to implement their body plans that is not fully understood. Here we propose a mechanism based on the interplay between cellular mechanics and primordia patterning that results in self-sustained planar cell intercalations. Thus, we show that a location-dependent modulation of cell mechanics due to positional information leads to robust axis extension. To illustrate the plausibility of this model, we use different experimentally reported patterning mechanisms in simulations that implement mechano-signaling feedback. Our results suggest that robust elongation relies on a trade-off between cellular and tissue strains that is orchestrated via the cleavage orientation. In the particular context of axis extension in Turing-patterned primordia we report that the combination of different directional cell activities lead to synergetic effects. Altogether, our findings help to understand how the emerging phenomenon of tissue elongation emerges from the individual cell dynamics.

systems biology↗