Nonlinear rheology of cellular networks

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • Charlie Duclut - , Max-Planck-Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems (Autor:in)
  • Joris Paijmans - , Max-Planck-Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems (Autor:in)
  • Mandar M. Inamdar - , Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) (Autor:in)
  • Carl D. Modes - , Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Zentrum für Systembiologie Dresden (CSBD), Technische Universität Dresden, Exzellenzcluster PoL: Physik des Lebens (Autor:in)
  • Frank Jülicher - , Max-Planck-Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Zentrum für Systembiologie Dresden (CSBD), Technische Universität Dresden, Exzellenzcluster PoL: Physik des Lebens (Autor:in)

Abstract

Morphogenesis depends crucially on the complex rheological properties of cell tissues and on their ability to maintain mechanical integrity while rearranging at long times. In this paper, we study the rheology of polygonal cellular networks described by a vertex model in the presence of fluctuations. We use a triangulation method to decompose shear into cell shape changes and cell rearrangements. Considering the steady-state stress under constant shear, we observe nonlinear shear-thinning behavior at all magnitudes of the fluctuations, and an even stronger nonlinear regime at lower values of the fluctuations. We successfully capture this nonlinear rheology by a mean-field model that describes the tissue in terms of cell elongation and cell rearrangements. We furthermore introduce anisotropic active stresses in the vertex model and analyze their effect on rheology. We include this anisotropy in the mean-field model and show that it recapitulates the behavior observed in the simulations. Our work clarifies how tissue rheology is related to stochastic cell rearrangements and provides a simple biophysical model to describe biological tissues. Further, it highlights the importance of nonlinearities when discussing tissue mechanics.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummer203746
FachzeitschriftCells and Development
Jahrgang168
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - Dez. 2021
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

PubMed 34592496

Schlagworte

Schlagwörter

  • Cell mechanics, Continuum theory, Nonlinear rheology, Tissue mechanics, Vertex model