Relating Biophysical Properties Across Scales

TL;DR

This paper develops a framework combining experiments, theory, and modeling to connect tissue-level biophysical properties with cell and subcellular characteristics, focusing on tissue fusion.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to relate biophysical properties across scales using tissue fusion as a model, integrating Monte Carlo simulations and a new Cellular Particle Dynamics model.

Findings

Validated the framework with experimental data

Linked tissue viscosity to cellular parameters

Provided a general method applicable beyond tissue fusion

Abstract

A distinguishing feature of a multicellular living system is that it operates at various scales, from the intracellular to organismal. Very little is known at present on how tissue level properties are related to cell and subcellular properties. Modern measurement techniques provide quantitative results at both the intracellular and tissue level, but not on the connection between these. In the present work we outline a framework to address this connection. We specifically concentrate on the morphogenetic process of tissue fusion, by following the coalescence of two contiguous multicellular aggregates. The time evolution of this process can accurately be described by the theory of viscous liquids. We also study fusion by Monte Carlo simulations and a novel Cellular Particle Dynamics (CPD) model, which is similar to the earlier introduced Subcellular Element Model (Newman, 2005). Using the combination of experiments, theory and modeling we are able to relate the measured tissue level biophysical quantities to subcellular parameters. Our approach has validity beyond the particular morphogenetic process considered here and provides a general way to relate biophysical properties across scales.