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Symmetry‐breaking in branching epithelia: cells on micro‐patterns under flow challenge the hypothesis of positive feedback by a secreted autocrine inhibitor of motility
Author(s) -
Martin Kimberly C.,
Yuan Xiaofei,
Stimac Gregory,
Bannerman Kieran,
Anderson Jamie,
Roy Chloe,
Glykofrydis Fokion,
Yin Huabing,
Davies Jamie A.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.932
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1469-7580
pISSN - 0021-8782
DOI - 10.1111/joa.12599
Subject(s) - autocrine signalling , motility , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , curvature , paracrine signalling , cell culture , chemotaxis , receptor , genetics , geometry , mathematics
Branching morphogenesis of epithelia involves division of cells into leader (tip) and follower (stalk) cells. Published work on cell lines in culture has suggested that symmetry‐breaking takes place via a secreted autocrine inhibitor of motility, the inhibitor accumulating more in concave regions of the culture boundary, slowing advance of cells there, and less in convex areas, allowing advance and a further exaggeration of the concave/convex difference. Here we test this hypothesis using a two‐dimensional culture system that includes strong flow conditions to remove accumulating diffusible secretions. We find that, while motility does indeed follow boundary curvature in this system, flow makes no difference: this challenges the hypothesis of control by a diffusible secreted autocrine inhibitor.