Dev Cell. 2024 Jan 12:S1534-5807(23)00694-9. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.12.016

A mechanical wave travels along a genetic guide to drive the formation of an epithelial furrow during Drosophila gastrulation

Anna Popkova¹, Urška Andrenšek², Sophie Pagnotta³, Primož Ziherl², Matej Krajnc⁴, Matteo Rauzi⁵

Affiliations
¹Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Inserm, iBV, Nice, France.
²Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
³Université Côte d’Azur, Centre Commun de Microscopie Appliquée, Nice, France.
⁴Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
⁵Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Inserm, iBV, Nice, France.

Abstract

Epithelial furrowing is a fundamental morphogenetic process during gastrulation, neurulation, and body shaping. A furrow often results from a fold that propagates along a line. How fold formation and propagation are controlled and driven is poorly understood. To shed light on this, we study the formation of the cephalic furrow, a fold that runs along the embryo dorsal-ventral axis during Drosophila gastrulation and the developmental role of which is still unknown. We provide evidence of its function and show that epithelial furrowing is initiated by a group of cells. This cellular cluster works as a pacemaker, triggering a bidirectional morphogenetic wave powered by actomyosin contractions and sustained by de novo medial apex-to-apex cell adhesion. The pacemaker’s Cartesian position is under the crossed control of the anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral gene patterning systems. Thus, furrow formation is driven by a mechanical trigger wave that travels under the control of a multidimensional genetic guide.

DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.12.016