Mechanical Patterning in Animal Morphogenesis.
Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol
; 37: 469-493, 2021 10 06.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34242058
ABSTRACT
Morphogenesis is one of the most remarkable examples of biological pattern formation. Despite substantial progress in the field, we still do not understand the organizational principles responsible for the robust convergence of the morphogenesis process across scales to form viable organisms under variable conditions. Achieving large-scale coordination requires feedback between mechanical and biochemical processes, spanning all levels of organization and relating the emerging patterns with the mechanisms driving their formation. In this review, we highlight the role of mechanics in the patterning process, emphasizing the active and synergistic manner in which mechanical processes participate in developmental patterning rather than merely following a program set by biochemical signals. We discuss the value of applying a coarse-grained approach that considers the large-scale dynamics and feedback and complements the reductionist approach focused on molecular detail. A central challenge in this approach is identifying relevant coarse-grained variables and developing effective theories that can serve as a basis for an integrated framework toward understanding this remarkable pattern-formation process.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Morphogenesis
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol
Journal subject:
BIOLOGIA
Year:
2021
Type:
Article