Correlating cell shape and cellular stress in motile confluent tissues
Abstract
Using a self-propelled Voronoi model of epithelia known to predict a liquid-solid transition, we examine the interplay between cell motility and cell shape, tuned by cortex contractility and cell-cell adhesion, in controlling the mechanical properties of tissue. Our work provides a unifying framework for existing, seemingly distinct notions of stress in tissues and relates stresses to material properties. In particular, we show that the temporal correlation function of shear stresses can be used to define an effective tissue viscosity that diverges at the liquid-solid transition. This finding suggests a unique way of analyzing traction force microscopy data that may provide information on tissue rheology.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- November 2017
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.1705921114
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1704.05951
- Bibcode:
- 2017PNAS..11412663Y
- Keywords:
-
- Condensed Matter - Soft Condensed Matter;
- Physics - Biological Physics;
- Quantitative Biology - Cell Behavior;
- Quantitative Biology - Tissues and Organs
- E-Print:
- 12 pages, 9 figures