- A new study reveals that physical forces are as crucial as biochemistry in shaping developing organs, challenging the previous belief that gene and protein biochemistry solely directed organ development.
- Researchers from Syracuse University investigated Kupffer’s vesicle (KV) in zebrafish embryos, a small, fluid-filled, balloon-shaped structure crucial in establishing body symmetry.
- KV guides the placement of the zebrafish’s internal organs by moving through the tissue in the tailbud, generating pressure and movement in surrounding tissues.
- The study shows that slow-moving tissues can generate mechanical forces that mold developing organs, contrary to previous beliefs.
The details:
- There is a gradient of stiffness in the tissues around Kupffer’s vesicle.
- When this balloon-like organ moves through thick honey-like and nearly solid tissues, it creates strong forces in the surrounding tissues.
- Even slow tissue movements can drive surprisingly large forces.
- Using mathematical models, live imaging, and physical experiments, researchers found that slow-tissue motion affects KV’s shape.
Why it matters: These findings could advance understanding of human organ development and inform treatments for birth defects and other conditions.
What’s next:
- The team is working with scientists to extend these research ideas to human organoids.
- They are also studying how these dynamical forces affect cancer tumors.
“We’ve shown that mechanical interactions are just as important as biochemical signaling in organ development,” says the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Physics in A&S. “The two work together. This concept is emerging from various labs across the country, highlighting that mechanics combined with biochemistry robustly patterns organs.”
