Tissue hydraulics: physics of lumen formation and interaction

2021/04/12 by Alejandro Torres-Sánchez, Alejandro Torres-Sànchez, Torres-Sánchez, Alejandro +4 · 2 voices · 19 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Chemistry · Engineering · Medicine · Physics and Astronomy · #3D Printing in Biomedical Research #Biology #Biophysics #Cancer Cells and Metastasis #Cell biology #Cellular Mechanics and Interactions #Chemistry #Hydraulics #Hydrostatic equilibrium #Hydrostatic pressure #Lumen (anatomy) #Mechanics #Morphogenesis #Physics #Thermodynamics #cond-mat.soft #physics.bio-ph #q-bio.TO

paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.cdev.2021.203724

published in Cells and Development 168, 203724 (Elsevier BV) · 15 pages, 3 figures

arxiv created 2021/07/12 · arxiv updated 2021/07/14 · openalex publication_date 2021/07/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Lumen formation plays an essential role in the morphogenesis of tissues during development. Here we review the physical principles that play a role in the growth and coarsening of lumens. Solute pumping by the cell, hydraulic flows driven by differences of osmotic and hydrostatic pressures, balance of forces between extracellular fluids and cell-generated cytoskeletal forces, and electro-osmotic effects have been implicated in determining the dynamics and steady-state of lumens. We use the framework of linear irreversible thermodynamics to discuss the relevant force, time and length scales involved in these processes. We focus on order of magnitude estimates of physical parameters controlling lumen formation and coarsening.

Citations

• Epithelial polarity – Generating and integrating signals from the ECM with integrins
• Dynamic Change of Polarity in Primary Cultured Spheroids of Human Colorectal Adenocarcinoma and Its Role in Metastasis

Cited by

• Control of Lumen Morphology by Lateral and Basal Cell Surfaces
• Break to build: fracture as a unifying morphogenetic strategy
• Distinct Chemical Cues Reprogram Cellular and Multicellular Phenotypes in Ovarian Cancer Spheroids
• An ex vivo system to study cellular dynamics underlying mouse peri-implantation development. [europepmc]
• Polarized transport of membrane and secreted proteins during lumen morphogenesis. [europepmc]
• Human epiblast lumenogenesis: From a cell aggregate to a lumenal cyst. [europepmc]
• Morphogenetic Roles of Hydrostatic Pressure in Animal Development. [europepmc]
• Actomyosin contractility in olfactory placode neurons opens the skin epithelium to form the zebrafish nostril. [europepmc]
• In situ quantification of osmotic pressure within living embryonic tissues. [europepmc]
• Patterning and dynamics of membrane adhesion under hydraulic stress. [europepmc]
• Shaping epithelial lumina under pressure. [europepmc]
• Bioelectric stimulation controls tissue shape and size. [europepmc]
• Lumen expansion is initially driven by apical actin polymerization followed by osmotic pressure in a human epiblast model. [europepmc]
• Competing signaling pathways controls electrotaxis. [europepmc]
• Interplay of actin nematodynamics and anisotropic tension controls endothelial mechanics. [europepmc]
• Generic comparison of lumen nucleation and fusion in epithelial organoids with and without hydrostatic pressure. [europepmc]
• Predicting organoid morphology through a phase field model: Insights into cell division and lumenal pressure. [europepmc]
• Regulation of epithelial tissue homeostasis by active transepithelial transport. [europepmc]
• Injury-induced electrochemical coupling triggers organ growth. [europepmc]

Discussions

• What are the physics behind lumen formation? In this interesting and interdisciplinary review, Guillaume Salbreux et al described the physical laws from osmotic pressure to electrical potential that g [bsky, 17 points, 0 comments]
• Torres-Sánchez, A., Kerr Winter, M., & Salbreux, G. (2021). Tissue hydraulics: Physics of lumen formation and interaction. Cells & Development, 168, 203724. doi.org/10.1016/j.cd... #EpithelialMechanic [bsky, 1 points, 0 comments]

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