Preprint Highlight: Intertissue mechanical interactions shape the olfactory circuit in zebrafish.

Abstract

How the mechanics of surrounding tissue regulate tissue morphogenesis in vivo is not well known. This study addresses this problem by studying the developing olfactory placodes in zebrafish, a sensory organ which later gives rise to the opening of the nose. Combining this highly tractable system with quantitative live imaging, genetics, and biophysical manipulations, the authors reveal that the extracellular matrix transmits mechanical cues from the developing eye to the adjacent olfactory placode, thereby coupling their morphogenesis. This study will appeal to the broad cell and developmental biology community as it strengthens the fundamental notion that the emergence of form during embryogenesis does not happen in isolation and relies on the surrounding physical cues and interactions with adjacent tissues.