Apical contacts stemming from incomplete delamination guide progenitor cell allocation through a dragging mechanism
Abstract
The developmental strategies used by progenitor cells to allow a safe journey from their induction place towards the site of terminal differentiation are still poorly understood. Here we uncovered a mechanism of progenitor cell allocation that stems from an incomplete process of epithelial delamination that allows progenitors to coordinate their movement with adjacent extra-embryonic tissues. Progenitors of the zebrafish laterality organ originate from the superficial epithelial enveloping layer by an apical constriction process of cell delamination. During this process, progenitors retain long-lasting apical contacts that enable the epithelial layer to pull a subset of progenitors on their way to the vegetal pole. The remaining delaminated cells follow the movement of apically attached progenitors by a protrusion-dependent cell-cell contact mechanism, avoiding sequestration by the adjacent endoderm, ensuring their collective fate and allocation at the site of differentiation. Thus, we reveal that incomplete delamination serves as a cellular platform for coordinated tissue movements during development.
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All data generated or analysed during this study are included in the manuscript and supporting files. Source data files have been provided for Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
Article and author information
Author details
Funding
Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (1190806)
- Eduardo Pulgar
- Steffen Härtel
- Miguel Concha
Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (REDES170212,REDES130020)
- Eduardo Pulgar
- Steffen Härtel
- Miguel Concha
H2020 European Research Council (Advanced grant 742573)
- Carl-Philipp Heisenberg
Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (1161274,1181823)
- Steffen Härtel
- Miguel Concha
Instituto Milenio de Neurociencia Biomedica (ICN09_015)
- Eduardo Pulgar
- Steffen Härtel
- Miguel Concha
Millennium Nucleus Physics of Active Matter from ANID (ANID)
- Susana Márquez
- Rodrigo Soto
- Miguel Concha
Fondo de Equipamiento Cientifico y Tecnologico (EQM130051)
- Steffen Härtel
- Miguel Concha
Fondo de Financiamiento de Centros de Investigacion en Areas Prioritarias (15150012)
- Miguel Concha
Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (3160478)
- Eduardo Pulgar
Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (PIA ACT-1402)
- Steffen Härtel
- Miguel Concha
Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (PIA ACT192015)
- Miguel Concha
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.
Ethics
Animal experimentation: Fish care and procedures were approved by the Ethical Review Committee and comply with the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 0466 (Protocol CBA#0466 FMUCH).
Copyright
© 2021, Pulgar et al.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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