Physics - How Proteins Control Embryonic Tissue Flow

As an embryo develops, its epithelial tissues undergo dramatic deformations, transforming into intricate organism architectures. In vitro experiments suggested that a contractile protein complex known as actomyosin generates forces that can drive rapid tissue rearrangements. But researchers haven’t fully deciphered how actomyosin acts in living organisms. Now Marisol Herrera-Perez and colleagues at Columbia University have tackled the problem with in vivo “optogenetics” experiments, which use light to control the activity of actomyosin. The experiments show that actomysin behaves both as a force generator and as a mechanical-property regulator, toggling the tissue between solid- and fluid-like states [1]. The results show the potential of optogenetics for delivering a mechanistic understanding of tissue development, which could be a boon to tissue engineering, says Herrera-Perez. The researchers investigated the Drosophila embryo, a model system for studies of embryonic tissue rearrang

As an embryo develops, its epithelial tissues undergo dramatic deformations, transforming into intricate organism architectures. In vitro experiments suggested that a contractile protein complex known as actomyosin generates forces that can drive rapid tissue rearrangements. But researchers haven’t fully deciphered how actomyosin acts in living organisms. Now Marisol Herrera-Perez and colleagues at Columbia University have tackled the problem with in vivo “optogenetics” experiments, which use light to control the activity of actomyosin. The experiments show that actomysin behaves both as a for