Tissues exhibit a remarkable dual property of robustness and plasticity.
This relies on unique mechanical properties of the cell cortex and on adhesive interactions
between cells. Our group seeks to understand the fundamental molecular mechanisms
responsible for this property. This is essential to understand morphogenesis of developing
embryos and organs, and is severely affected in a number of diseases, in particular cancer
progression.
To that end we develop a range of approaches, from the genetic and pharmacological
perturbations of molecular components, the quantitative imaging of proteins using a
variety of photonic methods, probing of the physical properties of cells within intact
tissues, and predictive computational modelling of morphogenesis at different scales
(molecular to tissue scales).
I will present our current research characterizing how adhesion and cortical tension
regulate the dynamic remodelling of cell contacts in the primary epithelium of Drosophila
embryos. I will first focus on the regulation of tensile activity driving cell shape changes. I
will also address how E-cadherin-actin interactions control force transmission at cell
interfaces.
Tissue growth imposes challenges to tissue cohesion. In a second part I will report on our
studies of the interplay between tissue growth and tissue mechanics during
morphogenesis