On mechanical phase and form.

Höfs, Windie; Wickström, Sara A · Cell · 2024

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Epithelial folding is a fundamental biological process that requires epithelial interactions with the underlying mesenchyme. In this issue of Cell, Huycke et al. investigate intestinal villus formation. They discover that water-droplet-like behavior of mesenchymal cells drives their coalescence into uniformly patterned aggregates, which generate forces on the epithelium to initiate folding.

Medical subject headings