Table 1.
Summary of applications to date of vertex models to epithelial morphogenesis
| Process | System | Reference(s) | Key strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size regulation in wing disk | Drosophila | (8,24,51,53–55) | Addresses combined effect of mechanics and morphogen signaling on tissue size. |
| Regulation of dorsoventral compartment boundary | Drosophila | (57) | Addresses dynamics of cell bond tension along boundary. |
| Regulation of anteroposterior compartment boundary | Drosophila | (37,56) | Provides quantitative estimates for tensions required for boundary formation. |
| Germband extension | Drosophila | (67) | Compares hypothesis mechanisms for active cell intercalation. |
| Ventral furrow formation | Drosophila | (80) | Addresses emergence of ventral band of constricted cells. |
| Cell division and tissue elongation in wing disk | Drosophila | (21,67,72,81) | Assesses effect of polarized tension on cell and tissue orientation. |
| Dorsal appendage formation | Drosophila | (63) | Assesses effect of patterned tension on three-dimensional tissue deformation and cell rearrangements. |
| Cell geometric order in eye | Drosophila | (82) | Allows direct comparison with observed cell shape changes. |
| Convergent extension and cell sorting | Multiple | (17,27,28,83–86) | Allows comparison of cell-level hypotheses. |
| Neurulation | Multiple | (29,32) | Assesses three-dimensional morphogenetic movements. |
| Rosettes in visceral endoderm | Mouse | (23) | Compares scenarios with(out) rosette formation. |
| Polarity in blastocyst | Mouse | (65) | Assesses mechanisms underlying stable three-dimensional cell packing. |
| Notochord morphogenesis | Xenopus | (25) | Compares hypothesized cell motility rules. |
| Epiboly | Fundulus | (22) | Allows direct comparison with observed cell rearrangements and shape changes. |
| Cone photoreceptor organization | Zebrafish | (43) | Addresses interplay between mechanical factors and planar cell polarity signaling. |