142 Oral - Patterning and Morphogenesis I
Saturday April 09, 9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Tissue geometry reorients in-plane homeotic tension to promote folding.


Authors:
Aurélien Villedieu 1,2; Lale Alpar 1,2; Isabelle Gaugue 1,2; Amina Joudat 1,2; François Graner 3; Floris Bosveld 1,2; Yohanns Bellaïche 1,2

Affiliations:
1) Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, Paris, France.; 2) Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, Paris, France.; 3) Matière et Systèmes Complexes, Université de Paris - Diderot, CNRS UMR 7057, Paris, France

Keywords:
w. biomechanical forces; q. cellular remodeling

Shape is a conspicuous and fundamental property of biological systems entailing the function of organs and tissues. While much emphasis has been put on how tissue tension and mechanical properties drive shape changes, how a given initial shape influences subsequent morphogenesis remains poorly characterized. Here, we analyzed invagination of the Drosophila neck epithelium, which exhibits a curved radial geometry prior to its formation. We found that neck folding depends on an in-plane tension promoted by the Deformed (Dfd) homeotic gene. By varying tissue curvature, we established that tissue geometry promotes an inward force driving folding. Accordingly, the interplay between Dfd-dependent in-plane tension and curvature explains the spatiotemporal dynamics of tissue invagination. Collectively, our work highlights how tissue geometry and homeotic regulation of tissue tension provide a simple design principle contributing to folding morphogenesis during development.