Finding their sense of direction: Cell movement helps tissues establish polarity
From the hairs on our arms to the microscopic sensory structures of the inner ear, many tissues in the body are built with a clear sense of direction. To build these structures throughout development, individual cells must establish which way they are facing—and coordinate that orientation with cells around them. If they get this wrong, tissues may fail to form, form improperly or fail to…
Researchers from the lab of Whitehead Institute member Pulin Li have recreated the process of how tissues establish a collective sense of direction in engineered epithelial cells. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals that collective cell migration provides a cue that establishes coordinated polarity across many cells.
This discovery sheds light on the fundamental mystery of what initially tells cells which direction to face during development. The findings focus on planar cell polarity (PCP), which enables cells to coordinate their orientation across tissues and is essential for processes that shape the developing body and its organs.
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