Epithelial cells form quasi-two-dimensional sheets that function as contractile media to effect tissue shape changes during development and homeostasis. Endogenously generated intrasheet tension is a driver of such changes, but has predominantly been measured in the presence of directional migration. The nature of epithelial cell-generated forces transmitted over supracellular distances, in the absence of directional migration, is thus largely unclear. In this report, we consider large epithelial cell colonies which are archetypical multicell collectives with extensive cell–cell contacts but with a symmetric (circular) boundary. Using the traction force imbalance method (TFIM) (traction force microscopy combined with physical force balance), we first show that one can determine the colony-level endogenous sheet forces exerted at the midline by one half of the colony on the other half with no prior assumptions on the uniformity of the mechanical properties of the cell sheet. Importantly, we find that this colony-level sheet force exhibits large variations with orientation—the difference between the maximum and minimum sheet force is comparable to the average sheet force itself. Furthermore, the sheet force at the colony midline is largely tensile but the shear component exhibits significantly more variation with orientation. We thus show that even an unperturbed epithelial colony with a symmetric boundary shows significant directional variation in the endogenous sheet tension and shear forces that subsist at the colony level.
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October 2017
Research-Article
Endogenous Sheet-Averaged Tension Within a Large Epithelial Cell Colony
Sandeep P. Dumbali,
Sandeep P. Dumbali
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,
Old Dominion University,
Norfolk, VA 23529
Old Dominion University,
Norfolk, VA 23529
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Lanju Mei,
Lanju Mei
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,
Old Dominion University,
Norfolk, VA 23529
Old Dominion University,
Norfolk, VA 23529
Search for other works by this author on:
Shizhi Qian,
Shizhi Qian
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,
Old Dominion University,
Norfolk, VA 23529
Old Dominion University,
Norfolk, VA 23529
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Venkat Maruthamuthu
Venkat Maruthamuthu
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,
Old Dominion University,
4635 Hampton Boulevard,
238e Kaufman,
Norfolk, VA 23529
e-mail: vmarutha@odu.edu
Old Dominion University,
4635 Hampton Boulevard,
238e Kaufman,
Norfolk, VA 23529
e-mail: vmarutha@odu.edu
Search for other works by this author on:
Sandeep P. Dumbali
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,
Old Dominion University,
Norfolk, VA 23529
Old Dominion University,
Norfolk, VA 23529
Lanju Mei
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,
Old Dominion University,
Norfolk, VA 23529
Old Dominion University,
Norfolk, VA 23529
Shizhi Qian
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,
Old Dominion University,
Norfolk, VA 23529
Old Dominion University,
Norfolk, VA 23529
Venkat Maruthamuthu
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,
Old Dominion University,
4635 Hampton Boulevard,
238e Kaufman,
Norfolk, VA 23529
e-mail: vmarutha@odu.edu
Old Dominion University,
4635 Hampton Boulevard,
238e Kaufman,
Norfolk, VA 23529
e-mail: vmarutha@odu.edu
1Corresponding author.
Manuscript received March 16, 2017; final manuscript received July 21, 2017; published online August 18, 2017. Assoc. Editor: Jeffrey Ruberti.
J Biomech Eng. Oct 2017, 139(10): 101008 (5 pages)
Published Online: August 18, 2017
Article history
Received:
March 16, 2017
Revised:
July 21, 2017
Citation
Dumbali, S. P., Mei, L., Qian, S., and Maruthamuthu, V. (August 18, 2017). "Endogenous Sheet-Averaged Tension Within a Large Epithelial Cell Colony." ASME. J Biomech Eng. October 2017; 139(10): 101008. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4037404
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