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Published January 28, 2014 | public
Journal Article

How Embryonic Cartilage Grows: Insights Gained from Quantitative Live Imaging

Abstract

One central question in development biology is how individual cell behaviors contribute to tissue morphogenesis. Growth plate cartilage contains morphologically distinct populations of chondrocytes in different zones during much of its growth phase, indicating a link between regulated cell behaviors and tissue elongation. To gain insights into this process, we develop a robust avian embryonic metacarpal culture system, and employ time-lapsed live 2-photon laser scanning microscopy to observe the cartilage growth. Quantitative analysis of the cellular displacements during the tissue growth reveals that cells in the proliferative and prehypertrophic zones, though morphologically distinct, display similar displacement trajectories, contributing in a linearly additive fashion to the unidirectional tissue growth. Our analysis rules out cell division and convergence-extension as the driving mechanisms for tissue elongation; rather, anisotropic matrix deposition and cell volume enlargement are responsible for sculpting the directional tissue growth.

Additional Information

© 2014 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 26, 2023