Neuronal differentiation influences progenitor arrangement in the vertebrate neuroepithelium
Cell division, movement and differentiation contribute to pattern formation in developing tissues. This is the case in the vertebrate neural tube, in which neurons differentiate in a characteristic pattern from a highly dynamic proliferating pseudostratified epithelium.
Simulations predict that tissue growth and the shape of lineage-related clones of cells differ with the rate of differentiation. Growth is isotropic in regions of high differentiation, but dorsoventrally biased in regions of low differentiation.
global mechanical constraints are sufficient to explain the observed differences in anisotropy.
This provides insight into how the tissue growth rate affects cell dynamics and growth anisotropy and opens up possibilities to study the coupling between mechanics, pattern formation and growth in the neural tube.
The mechanisms that control the arrangement of cells in developing tissues involve both molecular and mechanical processes that spatially and temporally coordinate the division, shape, displacement and differentiation of cells. A central challenge is to understand the interplay between tissue growth, pattern formation and the mechanical forces that act to shape tissues during development.
the difference in the growth regime between domains influences the degree of tissue anisotropy. Further theoretical investigation will be needed to understand the exact relationships between growth anisotropy, the rate of proliferation and differentiation.
cell division orientation does not contribute to anisotropic tissue growth
In future work, we wish to couple this tissue model to quantitative descriptions of the spread of morphogens that pattern the tissue and the gene regulatory networks that specify neuronal subtype identity. In this way, we hope to gain insight into the coupling of growth and patterning in the neural tube and understand how the position, precision and proportions of cell types are achieved.
The 4 Ps of developmental biology morphogenesis:
Pattern, Position, Precision, Proportion
Common Design 