{"id":79473,"date":"2026-06-02T11:05:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T09:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/?p=79473"},"modified":"2026-06-02T11:05:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T09:05:20","slug":"connecting-tissue-physical-changes-to-what-developing-cells-become","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/connecting-tissue-physical-changes-to-what-developing-cells-become\/","title":{"rendered":"Connecting tissue physical changes to what developing cells become"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<article class=\"vf-card vf-card--brand vf-card--bordered vf-u-margin__bottom--800\" default>\n  <div class=\"vf-card__content | vf-stack vf-stack--400\">\n      <h3 class=\"vf-card__heading\">\n      Summary    <\/h3>\n                <p class=\"vf-card__text\"><ul>\r\n \t<li>Biological tissues can behave like fluids or solids, depending on mechanical properties like tissue rigidity.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>EMBL researchers and their collaborators have shown that the rigidity of embryonic tissues is directly regulated by factors like cell-cell adhesion \u2013 how tightly neighbouring cells connect to each other.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>They also show that tissue rigidity plays a critical role in tissue organisation, regulating how cells process biochemical information, ultimately determining their future identities in a maturing embryo.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>These new biophysical findings have important implications for what we know about embryonic development, as well as other processes involving tissue-level transitions, such as cancer metastasis.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/p>\n      <\/div>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Embryonic development is one of the most dynamic biological processes in nature. Cells and tissues organise and reorganise themselves following incredibly precise patterns, while remaining flexible and robust. Scientists are increasingly probing the role the physical properties of embryonic tissues \u2013 such as rigidity or stiffness \u2013 play in this process.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A new set of investigations from EMBL Heidelberg&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/groups\/petridou\/\">Petridou Group<\/a> and collaborators shows that not only is tissue rigidity actively regulated within embryos, but it also strongly influences signalling processes that determine cell polarity and fate, i.e. which cells eventually give rise to which types of tissue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To reach these conclusions, the researchers used a combination of theoretical modelling, advanced live microscopy, and precise molecular bioengineering. The results were described in two recent papers, published in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41567-026-03276-6\"><em>Nature Physics<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41556-026-01954-4\"><em>Nature Cell Biology<\/em><\/a><em>, <\/em>respectively.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur lab studies embryogenesis, with a strong integration of biology and physics,\u201d said Nicoletta Petridou, Group Leader at EMBL and senior author of the papers. \u201cEmbryos are typically believed to follow genetic determinism \u2013 the egg cell contains much of the information needed for early development. However, the execution of this information is not just molecular; it also involves how cells interact physically.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How adhesion regulates rigidity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The team used zebrafish embryos for their studies, which, by virtue of being transparent and amenable to various perturbations, can act as a versatile model system for vertebrate embryo development. Early in development, the embryo transforms from a uniform mass of pluripotent cells \u2013 cells which have the potential to become multiple different cell types \u2013 to a much more complex, layered structure where cells have specific identities. The researchers focused on the tissue-level changes that occur during this important transition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To understand how tissue rigidity is regulated in the developing embryo, the researchers relied on a combination of quantitative measurements, theoretical analysis, and genetic and optogenetic tools. They studied factors such as cell density \u2013 how closely cells are packed in a tissue, and cell-cell adhesion \u2013 how tightly cells attach to their neighbours. They also used insights from previous studies on the physics of granular materials.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The scientists found that although both cell-cell adhesion and cell density change during normal development, only cell-cell adhesion is a key regulator of tissue rigidity. Specifically, increasing cell-cell adhesion helps the tissue transition from a fluid-like to a solid-like state, rather like water turning into ice at low temperatures.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When tissues become \u2018stiff\u2019 or \u2018frozen\u2019 like this, cells pack very tightly and form specialised contacts, making the tissue dense and non-porous. By experimentally uncoupling the contributions of cell-cell adhesion and cell density, the researchers showed that tissues change their organisation significantly upon altering cell-cell adhesion.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStrikingly, increasing cell-cell adhesion without a simultaneous increase in cell density led to the formation of large fluid-filled lumens,\u201d explained Laura Rustarazo-Calvo, Predoctoral Fellow in the Petridou Group and first author of one of the studies. \u201cCells lining these cavities became polarised, localising specialised proteins to the lumen-facing surface, suggesting that adhesion alone can initiate aspects of epithelial organisation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How rigid tissues trap developmental signals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This gave rise to the question of what role this transition plays, functionally, in the embryo. \u201cWe found that these properties can also provide instructive cues for development,\u201d said Petridou. \u201cSpecifically, they can change concentrations of molecules within the embryo, which in turn affects when and how cells change their identity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To do this, the team looked closely at a process called morphogen signalling. Morphogens are small molecules that diffuse across the embryo, and their concentration at a particular position tells the cells there what identities they should acquire. For this study, the researchers looked at a particular morphogen called Nodal, which helps pattern the mesoderm and endoderm \u2013 tissue layers that eventually form most of the body&#8217;s internal tissues and organs, like muscles, heart, connective tissues and gut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"vf-figure wp-block-image  | vf-figure--align vf-figure--align-inline-end  size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"399\" height=\"401\" class=\"vf-figure__image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Artwork_Petridou.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-79483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Artwork_Petridou.jpg 399w, https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Artwork_Petridou-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" \/><figcaption class=\"vf-figure__caption\">This artwork (acrylic painting on canvas) depicts a lateral view of an early zebrafish embryo, with orange tones illustrating the diffusion of Nodal from the vegetal to the animal pole. This gradient generates differential rigidity along the animal\u2013vegetal axis, as reported by Autorino <em>et al.<\/em> A geometric polygonal background evokes the interconnected cellular network that changes with tissue rigidity. Credit: Ayelen Valko.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Just like fish would have trouble swimming across a partially frozen ocean, the scientists found that increasing tissue rigidity results in Nodal becoming trapped in a particular region, limiting the range at which it acts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis complements earlier studies on morphogen gradients focused on the biochemical regulation of diffusion,\u201d said Petridou. \u201cHere we add that the physical trapping of molecules helps localise signals in space and time, ensuring proper tissue specification. This also provides a way to compartmentalise signals, which is important since many processes occur simultaneously within the embryo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Interestingly, there exists another layer to this. Since Nodal signalling can directly regulate cell-cell adhesion, this trapping process can also enhance tissue rigidity locally. This essentially gives rise to a feedback loop.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe two processes of tissue mechanics and morphogen signalling have been deeply studied but rarely linked,\u201d said Camilla Autorino, Bridging Postdoctoral Fellow in the Petridou Group and first author of one of the studies. \u201cDuring this work, we got growing evidence that they are dynamically tuning one another over development: they need each other to progress. These findings highlight how interdisciplinary work can elevate our understanding of biological mechanisms.\u201d<br \/><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"vf-figure wp-block-video\"><video style=\"max-width: 100%;\" controls src=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Petridou_Optogenetics_Featured_logo.mp4\"><\/video><figcaption class=\"vf-figure__caption\">Time-lapse of a developing zebrafish embryo, as the marginal cells change fate. Cell membranes are shown in grey, cell nuclei in yellow, and the mesendodermal fate marker <em>sebox<\/em> in magenta. Credit: Camilla Autorino\/EMBL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The studies involved collaborations with the labs of Zena Hadjivasiliou at The Francis Crick Institute, UK, and Bernat Corominas-Murtra at the University of Graz, Austria. Hadjivasiliou&#8217;s team are experts in using reaction-diffusion systems \u2013 a type of mathematical model that can help sort out processes involving concentration gradients, such as morphogen signalling \u2013 to understand biological organisation. Corominas-Murtra&#8217;s team, on the other hand, studies the statistical physics that underlie the emergence of biological complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese studies show that tissue material properties do more than enable mechanical deformation \u2013 they actively influence biological information,\u201d said Petridou. \u201cTissue material states and their transitions are deeply integrated within developmental biology, with continuous crosstalk between physical and biochemical processes.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Scientists find that close interactions between the mechanical properties of tissues and biochemical signalling between cells drive critical cell fate decisions during zebrafish embryo development.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":79481,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17591],"tags":[65,565,19693,43,17293,3720,17673],"embl_taxonomy":[5140,9796,19353],"class_list":["post-79473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-technology","tag-biophysics","tag-developmental-biology","tag-embryo-development","tag-heidelberg","tag-petridou","tag-physics","tag-theory","embl_taxonomy-developmental-biology","embl_taxonomy-embl-heidelberg","embl_taxonomy-petridou-group"],"acf":{"vf_locked":false,"vfwp-news_embl_taxonomy":[19353,9796,5140],"featured":true,"show_featured_image":false,"field_target_display":"embl","field_article_language":{"value":"english","label":"English"},"article_intro":"<p>Scientists find that close interactions between the mechanical properties of tissues and biochemical signalling between cells drive critical cell fate decisions during zebrafish embryo development<\/p>\n","related_links":[{"link_description":"Petridou Group","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/groups\/petridou\/"},{"link_description":"Developmental Biology Unit\r\n","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/research\/units\/developmental-biology\/"}],"source_article":[{"publication_title":"Tissue rigidity phase transition shapes morphogen gradients. Nature Cell Biology","publication_link":{"title":"","url":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41556-026-01954-4","target":""},"publication_authors":"Autorino C. et al.","publication_source":"Nature Cell Biology","publication_date":"14 May 2026","publication_doi":"10.1038\/s41556-026-01954-4"},{"publication_title":"Adhesion-driven rigidity transition decoupled from density-driven jamming triggers epithelial organization in embryonic tissues'","publication_link":{"title":"","url":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41567-026-03276-6","target":""},"publication_authors":"Rustarazo-Calvo L., Pallares-Cartes C., Aguirre-Tamaral A. et al. ","publication_source":"Nature Physics","publication_date":"02 Jun 2026","publication_doi":"10.1038\/s41567-026-03276-6"}],"in_this_article":false,"press_contact":"EMBL Generic","article_translations":false,"languages":""},"embl_taxonomy_terms":[{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"302cfdf7-365b-462a-be65-82c7b783ebf7\";i:1;s:36:\"7ca3ce91-dc32-47ea-8d4b-7a53c3a3a9fd\";i:2;s:36:\"6a2f2be6-8bb7-4425-b318-5ed992f715cc\";}","parents":[],"name":["Developmental Biology"],"slug":"developmental-biology","description":"What &gt; Research Units &gt; Developmental Biology"},{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"b14d3f13-5670-44fb-8970-e54dfd9c921a\";i:1;s:36:\"89e00fee-87f4-482e-a801-4c3548bb6a58\";i:2;s:36:\"ab46b6d4-71d8-49f8-b2f4-b326d4c8ea4e\";}","parents":[],"name":["EMBL Heidelberg"],"slug":"embl-heidelberg","description":"Where &gt; All EMBL sites &gt; EMBL Heidelberg"},{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"302cfdf7-365b-462a-be65-82c7b783ebf7\";i:1;s:36:\"6a2f2be6-8bb7-4425-b318-5ed992f715cc\";i:2;s:36:\"3cd80d1f-0bf5-4947-936c-0e7e1b6a9b2e\";}","parents":[],"name":["Petridou Group"],"slug":"petridou-group","description":"What &gt; Developmental Biology &gt; Petridou Group"}],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Connecting tissue physical changes to what developing cells become | EMBL<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Scientists find that interactions between the mechanical properties of tissues and biochemical signalling drive critical cell fate decisions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/connecting-tissue-physical-changes-to-what-developing-cells-become\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Connecting tissue physical changes to what developing cells become | EMBL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Scientists find that interactions between the mechanical properties of tissues and biochemical signalling drive critical cell fate decisions\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/connecting-tissue-physical-changes-to-what-developing-cells-become\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EMBL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/embl.org\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-02T09:05:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-02T09:05:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1000X600_Petridou_PhysicsTissueRigidityEmbryo.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Shreya Ghosh\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@embl\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@embl\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Shreya Ghosh\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/connecting-tissue-physical-changes-to-what-developing-cells-become\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/connecting-tissue-physical-changes-to-what-developing-cells-become\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Shreya Ghosh\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/de071e57de42c03b5f23d1e391048fb2\"},\"headline\":\"Connecting tissue physical changes to what developing cells become\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-02T09:05:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-02T09:05:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/connecting-tissue-physical-changes-to-what-developing-cells-become\/\"},\"wordCount\":1051,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/connecting-tissue-physical-changes-to-what-developing-cells-become\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1000X600_Petridou_PhysicsTissueRigidityEmbryo.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"biophysics\",\"developmental biology\",\"embryo development\",\"heidelberg\",\"petridou\",\"physics\",\"theory\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Science &amp; 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