Mitotic shape changes drive spatiotemporally segregated cell-contact rearrangements in a proliferating epithelium.

Mitotic shape changes in epithelial cells orchestrate a sequence of contact rearrangements, with 70% of tissue reorganization driven by mitotic geometry in murine organoids.

• Why it matters: Understanding how cell shape transformations during mitosis influence tissue architecture is crucial for insights into epithelial development and regeneration, yet this process remains poorly characterized.
• What they did: Using a combination of in silico vertex modeling and live imaging of murine intestinal organoids, the study identified specific mitotic shape changes—basal diminution and daughter reinsertion—that direct cell-contact rearrangements.
• The result: These findings reveal that geometric asymmetries during mitosis actively reorganize basal cell contacts, enabling proliferating epithelia to adapt their tissue structure intrinsically, which could inform regenerative strategies.