Morphodynamics refers to the biomechanical effects involved in development. There are several researchers who continue to build on concepts developed by Blechschmidt and others describing developmental events in terms of the physics involved in stresses and fluid movement within the embryo as important factors involved in establishing embryonic structures.
Recently a group of researchers have looked at the directional rotation of cilia at Hensens node involved in the lateral distribution of morphogens to establish left/right in the embryonic disc (Hirokawa N. etal, 2006)
Some of these experiments have also involved embryonic development in other species under zero gravity in space (Dournon C., 2003)
There are similar descriptions of changes at the intracellular (cell biology) level of dynamic events within cells.
Page Links: Introduction | Some Recent Findings | Nodal Flow | Interstitial Flow | Int. J. Dev. Biol. Special Issue | References | Glossary
Gastrulation in the Chicken Embryo Zamir EA, Czirok A, Cui C, Little CD, Rongish BJ. Mesodermal cell displacements during avian gastrulation are due to both individual cell-autonomous and convective tissue movements. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Dec 26;103(52):19806-11. Epub 2006 Dec 18. PNAS Link "Our results reveal the following: (i) Convective tissue motion contributes significantly to total cell displacement and must be subtracted to measure true cell-autonomous displacement; (ii) Cell-autonomous displacement decreases gradually after egression from the primitive streak; and (iii) There is an increasing cranial-to-caudal (head-to-tail) cell-autonomous motility gradient, with caudal cells actively moving away from the primitive streak faster than cranial cells."
Special issue of Int. J. Dev. Biol. Developmental Morphodynamics Vol. 50 Nos. 2/3 (2006)
Hirokawa N, Tanaka Y, Okada Y, Takeda S. Nodal flow and the generation of left-right asymmetry. Cell. 2006 Apr 7;125(1):33-45. "The leftward movement of fluid at the ventral node, called nodal flow, is the central process in symmetry breaking on the left-right axis. Nodal flow is autonomously generated by the rotation of cilia that are tilted toward the posterior on cells of the ventral node."
Hirokawa N, Tanaka Y, Okada Y, Takeda S. Nodal flow and the generation of left-right asymmetry. Cell. 2006 Apr 7;125(1):33-45. "The leftward movement of fluid at the ventral node, called nodal flow, is the central process in symmetry breaking on the left-right axis. Nodal flow is autonomously generated by the rotation of cilia that are tilted toward the posterior on cells of the ventral node."
See also Tanaka Y, Okada Y, Hirokawa N. FGF-induced vesicular release of Sonic hedgehog and retinoic acid in leftward nodal flow is critical for left-right determination. Nature. 2005 May 12;435(7039):172-7. Supplementary Movies
(More? see Essential Science Special Topics Nobutaka Hirokawa interview)
Interstitial flow is the movement of fluid through the extracellular matrix of tissues which is driven by physical stresses on the tissue. This type of microfluid movement may affect the distribution of morphogens, growth factors and nutrition within developing tissues.
Rutkowski JM, Swartz MA. A driving force for change: interstitial flow as a morphoregulator. Trends Cell Biol. 2006 Nov 30;
Kamm RD. Cellular fluid mechanics. Annu Rev Fluid Mech. 2002;34:211-32.
The Int. J. Dev. Biol. recently gave over an entire special issue to morphodynamics in development. Below is a list of the contents of this special issue.
Developmental Morphodynamics Vol. 50 Nos. 2/3 (2006)
Preface. Developmental Morphodynamics - bridging the gap between the genome and embryo physics
Lev V. Beloussov and Richard Gordon Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 79-80
Introductory Papers
Morphomechanics: goals, basic experiments and models Lev V. Beloussov and Vassily I. Grabovsky Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 81-92
Direct physical formation of anatomical structures by cell traction forces. An interview with Albert Harris Lev Beloussov Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 93-101
From observations to paradigms; the importance of theories and models. An interview with Hans Meinhardt Richard Gordon and Lev Beloussov Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 103-111
Contributions
Gastrulation in amphibian embryos, regarded as a succession of biomechanical feedback events Lev V. Beloussov, Natalia N. Luchinskaya, Alexander S. Ermakov and Nadezhda S. Glagoleva Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 113-122
Principles of branch formation and branch patterning in Hydrozoa Stefan Berking Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 123-134
A hypothesis linking low folate intake to neural tube defects due to failure of post-translation methylations of the cytoskeleton Natalie K. Björklund and Richard Gordon Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 135-141
Blastula wall invagination examined on the basis of shape behavior of vesicular objects with laminar envelopes Bojan Bozic, Jure Derganc and Sasa Svetina Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 143-150
Do lamellipodia have the mechanical capacity to drive convergent extension? G. Wayne Brodland Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 151-155
Geometry and mechanics of teleost gastrulation and the formation of primary embryonic axes Elena M. Cherdantseva and Vladimir G. Cherdantsev Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 157-168
The dynamic geometry of mass cell movements in animal morphogenesis Vladimir G. Cherdantsev Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 169-182
Effects of microgravity on cell cytoskeleton and embryogenesis Susan J. Crawford-Young Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 183-191
On the origin of pattern and form in early Metazoans Frederick W. Cummings Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 193-208
An anisotropic-viscoplastic model of plant cell morphogenesis by tip growth Jacques Dumais, Sidney L. Shaw, Charles R. Steele, Sharon R. Long and Peter M. Ray Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 209-222
Morphogenesis, plasticity and irreversibility Chikara Furusawa and Kunihiko Kaneko Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 223-232
Biophysical regulation during cardiac development and application to tissue engineering Sharon Gerecht-Nir, Milica Radisic, Hyoungshin Park, Christopher Cannizzaro, Jan Boublik, Robert Langer and Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 233-243
Mechanics in embryogenesis and embryonics: prime mover or epiphenomenon? Richard Gordon Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 245-253
Mechanical control of tissue morphogenesis during embryological development Donald E. Ingber Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 255-266
Morphomechanical programming of morphogenesis in Cnidarian embryos Yulia A. Kraus Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 267-275
Morphodynamics of phyllotaxis Alexander G. Malygin Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 277-287
Before programs: The physical origination of multicellular forms Stuart A. Newman, Gabor Forgacs and Gerd B. Müller Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 289-299
Pulling forces acting on Hox gene clusters cause expression collinearity Spyros Papageorgiou Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 301-308
Spatial patterns formed by chemotactic bacteria Escherichia coli Andrey A. Polezhaev, Ruslan A. Pashkov, Alexey I. Lobanov and Igor B. Petrov Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 309-314
The natural variability of morphogenesis: a tool for exploring the mechanics of gastrulation movements in amphibian embryos Victoria A. Scobeyeva Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 315-322
Biophysical mechanisms of cardiac looping Larry A. Taber Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 323-332
The role and limits of a gradient based explanation of morphogenesis: a theoretical consideration Nikoloz Tsikolia Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 333-340
The evolution of the structure of tubulin and its potential consequences for the role and function of microtubules in cells and embryos Jack A. Tuszynski, Eric J. Carpenter, J. Torin Huzil, Wojtek Malinski, Tyler Luchko and Richard F. Luduena Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 341-358
Tissue morphogenesis: a surface buckling mechanism Konstantin Y. Volokh Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 359-365
Book Review
A review of Stuart Pivar´s book Lifecode: The Theory of Biological Self Organization Richard Gordon Int. J. Dev. Biol. (2006) 50: 367-368[Abstract] [FullText Open Access]
Links: Reviews | Articles | Online Textbooks | Search Textbooks | Search PubMed | Glossary
Reviews
Hirokawa N, Tanaka Y, Okada Y, Takeda S. Nodal flow and the generation of left-right asymmetry. Cell. 2006 Apr 7;125(1):33-45.
Bartman T, Hove J. Mechanics and function in heart morphogenesis. Dev Dyn. 2005 Jun;233(2):373-81.
Serova LV. Ontogenesis of mammals and gravity. J Gravit Physiol. 2004 Jul;11(2):P161-4.
Dournon C. Developmental biology of urodele amphibians in microgravity conditions. Adv Space Biol Med. 2003;9:101-31.
Van Blerkom J. Morphodynamics of nuclear and cytoplasmic reorganization during the resumption of arrested meiosis in the mouse oocyte. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1989;294:33-51.
Articles
Sato E, Kimura N, Yokoo M, Miyake Y, Ikeda JE. Morphodynamics of ovarian follicles during oogenesis in mice. Microsc Res Tech. 2006 Jun;69(6):427-35.
Tanaka Y, Okada Y, Hirokawa N. FGF-induced vesicular release of Sonic hedgehog and retinoic acid in leftward nodal flow is critical for left-right determination. Nature. 2005 May 12;435(7039):172-7.
McGrath J, Somlo S, Makova S, Tian X, Brueckner M. Two populations of node monocilia initiate left-right asymmetry in the mouse. Cell. 2003 Jul 11;114(1):61-73.
Essner JJ, Vogan KJ, Wagner MK, Tabin CJ, Yost HJ, Brueckner M. Essner JJ, Vogan KJ, Wagner MK, Tabin CJ, Yost HJ, Brueckner M. Conserved function for embryonic nodal cilia. Nature. 2002 Jul 4;418(6893):37-8.
Search PubMed: July 2006 "biomechanical embryology" 183 reference articles of which 41 were reviews.
Search PubMed Now: biomechanical embryology | developmental morphodynamics | embryo development in space |
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Home Page
Embryo stages
Fetal Dev
Dev Notes 1
Dev Notes 2
System Notes
Acknowledgements
Morphodynamics
Movies
Audio
News
Class Notes
Serial Images
K12 Students
Abnormal
Histology
Site Map
Glossary
References
Search
School of Med Sci
UNSW Medicine
University of NSW
UNSW Cell Biology
NCBI Books
Dev Biol (Gilbert)
Page under development (notice removed when complete).
This page is an attempt to include concepts related to development based upon the physics (stresses, strains, gravity and fluid movement) occuring during growth.
In some respects this is in response to the very dominant "molecular" nature of recent studies in comparison to the many other ways of describing developmental events. The two area appear more recently to be converging using new molecular findings to be incorporated or married with the morphodynamic descriptions.
Please email Dr Mark Hill if you wish to make a comment about this current project.