A strategy for tissue self-organization that is robust to cellular heterogeneity and plasticity
Abstract
Differences in cell–cell interfacial energies can explain how multiple cell types sort into spatially organized tissues. However, this strategy of self-organization is not robust to heterogeneity or changes to the interfacial energies that drive correct cell positioning. Therefore, heterogeneous epithelial tissues such as the human mammary and prostate glands use a different strategy. First, disorganized aggregates form an adhesive interface at the tissue–ECM boundary that provides geometric constraints to self-organization. Second, only one cell type interacts appreciably with this interface. This strategy can explain how self-organization remains robust in vivo, provides generalizable rules for reconstituting tissues in vitro, and suggests how structure might break down during cancer progression.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jan 29, 2015
- Source ID
- 10.1073/pnas.1410776112
Entities
People
- Alec E. Cerchiari
- Donna M. Peehl
- James C. Garbe
- Kyle E. Broaders
- Mark A LaBarge
- Matthew Thomson
- Michael E. Todhunter
- Noel Y. Jee
- Tejal A. Desai
- Zev J Gartner
Organizations
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences
- Stanford University
- United States Department of Defense
- University of California
- University of California, Berkeley