bioRxivJClub
Partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition mediates profound gap closure through growth and fluidization
bioRxiv · · Preprint · Open access
Jiang, Wei + 9 more
Abstract ↗AI summary
The abstract is read at the publisher; the summary is JClub's.
Millimeter-scale circular gap closure in mouse epicardial (MEC1) monolayers is driven primarily by growth-mediated compressive stresses, enabling faster closure than MDCK monolayers.
- Why it matters: Gap closure must preserve tissue integrity during development and wound healing, yet how larger gaps close—especially beyond edge purse-string mechanics—remains unclear.
- What they did: The study compared MEC1 and MDCK monolayers using tissue/cell kinematics, traction force mapping, and a continuum model that decomposes strain-rate contributions into growth, elastic, and fluidity terms.
- The result: Growth-generated compression drives inward tissue flow, while elastic elongation and fluid-like remodeling via cell-cell intercalation act synergistically; partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition induction and Rho kinase inhibition modulate collective dynamics.
The findingWhy it mattersWhat they didThe result
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