Elasticity, stability, and quasi-oscillations of cell-cell junctions in solid confluent epithelia

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical framework linking cell junction dynamics to tissue properties, revealing how myosin turnover, noise, and cell arrangement influence junction stability and oscillations in epithelial tissues.

Contribution

It introduces a coupled vertex model with actomyosin dynamics to explain junction stability, oscillations, and collapse in solid confluent epithelia, highlighting factors affecting tissue remodeling.

Findings

Myosin turnover rate determines junction stability and cell rearrangements.

Noise can induce and sustain quasi-periodic junctional oscillations.

Cell arrangement and junctional tension influence junction collapse during tissue development.

Abstract

Macroscopic properties and shapes of biological tissues depend on the remodelling of cell-cell junctions at the microscopic scale. We propose a theoretical framework that couples a vertex model of solid confluent tissues with the dynamics describing generation of local force dipoles in the junctional actomyosin. Depending on the myosin-turnover rate, junctions either preserve stable length or collapse to initiate cell rearrangements. We find that noise can amplify and sustain transient oscillations to the fixed point, giving rise to quasi-periodic junctional dynamics. We also discover that junctional stability is affected by cell arrangements and junctional rest tensions, which may explain junctional collapse during convergence and extension in embryos.