法国巴黎大学Francis Corson和Jerome Gros共同合作，近期取得重要工作进展。他们研究提出，自发的组织力学是胚胎调控的基础。相关研究成果2024年9月11日在线发表于《自然》杂志上。

据介绍，早期羊膜发育是高度自组织的，能够通过局部和远程细胞间相互作用适应干扰。这一过程被称为胚胎调节，在鸟类胚胎的实验中得到了很好的说明，其中将外胚层盘细分为不同的部分，不仅改变了细胞命运，最终在其原始位置形成一个完整且比例均衡的胚胎，而且还导致了其他分离部分中额外的完全形成的胚胎的自组织。胚胎自组织背后的细胞相互作用被广泛认为是由分子信号介导的，但这些信号的身份尚不清楚。

通过分析完整和机械扰动的鹌鹑胚胎，研究人员表明驱动胚胎发生的机械力是自发的，收缩性是局部自激活的，随之而来的张力是一种远程抑制剂。这种机械反馈控制着塑造胚胎的组织流动的持续模式，并通过调节基因表达来引导胚胎区域的同时出现，确保在正常条件下形成单个胚胎，同时允许在扰动后出现多个比例均衡的胚胎。因此，机械力作用于胚胎自组织的核心，塑造组织和基因表达，以稳健而塑性地引导早期发育。

附：英文原文

Title: Self-organized tissue mechanics underlie embryonic regulation

Author: Caldarelli, Paolo, Chamolly, Alexander, Villedieu, Aurlien, Alegria-Prvot, Olinda, Phan, Carole, Gros, Jerome, Corson, Francis

Issue&Volume: 2024-09-11

Abstract: Early amniote development is highly self-organized, capable of adapting to interference through local and long-range cell–cell interactions. This process, called embryonic regulation1, has been well illustrated in experiments on avian embryos, in which subdividing the epiblast disk into different parts not only redirects cell fates to eventually form a complete and well-proportioned embryo at its original location, but also leads to the self-organization of additional, fully formed embryos2,3 in the other separated parts. The cellular interactions underlying embryonic self-organization are widely believed to be mediated by molecular signals, yet the identity of such signals is unclear. Here, by analysing intact and mechanically perturbed quail embryos, we show that the mechanical forces that drive embryogenesis self-organize, with contractility locally self-activating and the ensuing tension acting as a long-range inhibitor. This mechanical feedback governs the persistent pattern of tissue flows that shape the embryo4,5,6 and also steers the concomitant emergence of embryonic territories by modulating gene expression, ensuring the formation of a single embryo under normal conditions, yet allowing the emergence of multiple, well-proportioned embryos after perturbations. Thus, mechanical forces act at the core of embryonic self-organization, shaping both tissues and gene expression to robustly yet plastically canalize early development.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07934-8

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07934-8