Modeling and simulation of morphogenesis by cell rearrangement

A mechanical model for studying tissue morphogenesis by directed cell neighbor change is proposed. The model describes cell rearrangements by accounting for the balance of forces between neighboring cells that are functionally coupled. It allows for the testing of assumptions and theories in a precise and rigorous manner incorporating known biological and physical principles. The model is applied to two embryological processes: epiboly in the killyfish Fundulus and notochord extension in the frog Xenopus. It is noted that changing model parameters, such as the boundary conditions of the mechanical properties of a motile or adhesive cell subpopulation, allows the model to be applied in a wide range of settings in developmental and cell biology. It can be used as a testbed for investigating the mechanical conditions underlying normal embryonic development and for investigating the cellular mechanical properties responsible for developmental abnormalities