Hexanematic crossover in epithelial monolayers depends on cell adhesion and cell density

Nature Communications, vol. 14, pp. 5762

Abstract

Changes in tissue geometry during developmental processes are associated with collective migration of cells. Recent experimental and numerical results suggest that these changes could leverage on the coexistence of nematic and hexatic orientational order at different length scales. How this multiscale organization is affected by the material properties of the cells and their substrate is presently unknown. In this study, we address these questions in monolayers of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells having various cell densities and molecular repertoires. At small length scales, confluent monolayers are characterized by a prominent hexatic order, independent of the presence of E-cadherin, monolayer density, and underlying substrate stiffness. However, all three properties affect the meso-scale tissue organization. The length scale at which hexatic order transits to nematic order, the "hexanematic" crossover scale, strongly depends on cell-cell adhesions and correlates with monolayer density. Our study demonstrates how epithelial organization is affected by mechanical properties, and provides a robust description of tissue organization during developmental processes.

Authors 5

1. Julia Eckert Aachen Physics of Life Processes

   Leiden University · The University of Queensland · Institute for Molecular Bioscience

   Affiliation as printed

   Centre for Cell Biology of Chronic Disease, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia

   Physics of Life Processes, Leiden Institute of Physics, Universiteit Leiden, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands

2. Benoît Ladoux

   Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Cité · Institut Jacques Monod

   Affiliation as printed

   Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013, Paris, France

3. René‐Marc Mège

   Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Cité · Institut Jacques Monod

   Affiliation as printed

   Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013, Paris, France

4. Luca Giomi Aachen Instituut-Lorentz

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Instituut-Lorentz, Leiden Institute of Physics, Universiteit Leiden, P.O. Box 9506, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands

5. Thomas Schmidt corresponding Aachen Physics of Life Processes

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Physics of Life Processes, Leiden Institute of Physics, Universiteit Leiden, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands. schmidt@physics.leidenuniv.nl

   Physics of Life Processes, Leiden Institute of Physics, Universiteit Leiden, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands