Image-based force inference by biomechanical simulation

Abstract

AbstractDuring morphogenesis, cells precisely generate forces that drive cell shape changes and cellular motion. These forces predominantly arise from contractility of the actomyosin cortex, allowing for cortical tension, protrusion formation, and cell division. Image-based force inference can derive such forces from microscopy images, without complicated and time-consuming experimental set-ups. However, current methods are limited by not accounting for physical confinement and local force generation. Here we propose a force-inference method based on a biophysical model of cell shape, and assess cellular cortical tension, adhesion strength between cells, as well as cytokinesis and protrusion formation. We applied our method on fluorescent microscopy images of the earlyC. elegansembryo. Predictions for cortical tension at the 7-cell stage were validated by measurements using cortical laser ablation. Our non-invasive method facilitates the accurate tracking of force generation, and offers many new perspectives for studying morphogenesis.AvailabilityThe data and code needed to recreate the results are freely available athttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10223739. The most recent version of the software is maintained athttps://bitbucket.org/pgmsembryogenesis/fides/.Contactrob.jelier@kuleuven.be