Mechanical regulation of early vertebrate embryogenesis

• Published in: Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 169 - 184
• Main Authors: Valet, Manon, Siggia, Eric D., Brivanlou, Ali H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.03.2022; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/136/2086; 631/1647/767; 631/532/2117; Animals; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Body Patterning - physiology; Cancer Research; Cell Biology; Cell culture; Cell Differentiation; Cell fate; Developmental Biology; Embryo cells; Embryo, Mammalian; Embryogenesis; Embryology; Embryonic Development - genetics; Embryonic growth stage; Embryos; Humans; Life Sciences; Mechanical control; Mechanical stimuli; Pattern formation; Review Article; Signal processing; Stem cell transplantation; Stem Cells; Vertebrates
• ISSN: 1471-0072; 1471-0080; 1471-0080
• DOI: 10.1038/s41580-021-00424-z

Embryonic cells grow in environments that provide a plethora of physical cues, including mechanical forces that shape the development of the entire embryo. Despite their prevalence, the role of these forces in embryonic development and their integration with chemical signals have been mostly neglected, and scrutiny in modern molecular embryology tilted, instead, towards the dissection of molecular pathways involved in cell fate determination and patterning. It is now possible to investigate how mechanical signals induce downstream genetic regulatory networks to regulate key developmental processes in the embryo. Here, we review the insights into mechanical control of early vertebrate development, including the role of forces in tissue patterning and embryonic axis formation. We also highlight recent in vitro approaches using individual embryonic stem cells and self-organizing multicellular models of human embryos, which have been instrumental in expanding our understanding of how mechanics tune cell fate and cellular rearrangements during human embryonic development. Cells in the embryo are subject to autonomous and external mechanical forces that help steer embryonic tissue patterning. Technical developments, such as in vitro models of early embryos, allow probing of the roles of mechanical forces in animal and human embryonic development.