Cell Sorting Is Analogous to Phase Ordering in Fluids
Morphogenetic processes, like sorting or spreading of tissues, characterize early embryonic development. An analogy between viscoelastic fluids and certain properties of embryonic tissues helps interpret these phenomena. The values of tissue-specific surface tensions are consistent with the equilibr...
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Published in | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 97; no. 17; pp. 9467 - 9471 |
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Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
United States
National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
15.08.2000
National Acad Sciences National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Morphogenetic processes, like sorting or spreading of tissues, characterize early embryonic development. An analogy between viscoelastic fluids and certain properties of embryonic tissues helps interpret these phenomena. The values of tissue-specific surface tensions are consistent with the equilibrium configurations that the Differential Adhesion Hypothesis predicts such tissues reach after sorting and spreading. Here we extend the fluid analogy to cellular kinetics. The same formalism applies to recent experiments on the kinetics of phase ordering in two-phase fluids. Our results provide biologically relevant information on the strength of binding between cell adhesion molecules under near-physiological conditions. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 Edited by Joel L. Lebowitz, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey–New Brunswick, Piscataway, NJ, and approved June 2, 2000 To whom reprint requests should be addressed. E-mail: forgacs@clarkson.edu. |
ISSN: | 0027-8424 1091-6490 |
DOI: | 10.1073/pnas.97.17.9467 |