利用拓扑缺陷塑造组织形态

Topological defects encode geometric features that morph living cell sheets into predictable structures John W. C. Dunlop1,2 and Łucja Kowalewska3 G enetic programs and mechanical forces pro- mote cells to grow, differentiate, and rear- range from a simple geometry into complex three-dimensional (3D) structures for specific physiological functions. This process, called morphogenesis, is important in developmental biology because it determines the shape and form of all living organisms. However, how identical cells coordinate to create tissues with precise shapes and patterns is still not well understood. On page 317 of this issue, Guillamat et al. (1) report that topological defects in a cell mono- layer introduce local ordering and control subsequent self-organiza- tion of cells into a 3D shape. …