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Symmetry breaking mechanism for epithelial cell polarization

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Veglio, A., Gamba, A., Nicodemi, Mario, Bussolino, F. and Serini, G. (2009) Symmetry breaking mechanism for epithelial cell polarization. Physical Review E (Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics), Vol.80 (No.3 Part 1). Article no. 031919. doi:10.1103/PhysRevE.80.031919

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.80.031919

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Abstract

In multicellular organisms, epithelial cells form layers separating compartments responsible for different physiological functions. At the early stage of epithelial layer formation, each cell of an aggregate defines an inner and an outer side by breaking the symmetry of its initial state, in a process known as epithelial polarization. By integrating recent biochemical and biophysical data with stochastic simulations of the relevant reaction-diffusion system, we provide evidence that epithelial cell polarization is a chemical phase-separation process induced by a local bistability in the signaling network at the level of the cell membrane. The early symmetry breaking event triggering phase separation is induced by adhesion-dependent mechanical forces localized in the point of convergence of cell surfaces when a threshold number of confluent cells is reached. The generality of the emerging phase-separation scenario is likely common to many processes of cell polarity formation.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: Q Science > QC Physics
Divisions: Faculty of Science > Physics
Journal or Publication Title: Physical Review E (Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics)
Publisher: American Physical Society
ISSN: 1539-3755
Official Date: September 2009
Dates:
DateEvent
September 2009Published
Volume: Vol.80
Number: No.3 Part 1
Number of Pages: 6
Page Range: Article no. 031919
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.80.031919
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access
Funder: Telethon-Italy, AIRC, MIUR, Regione Piemonte, PRESTO, Fondazione CRT, Ministero della Salute
Grant number: GGP04127, 2007BMZ8WA

Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge

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