Neural tube closure has been studied for many decades, across a range of vertebrates, as a
paradigm of embryonic morphogenesis. Neurulation is of particular interest in view of the …

Non-muscle myosin II (NM II) is an actin-binding protein that has actin cross-linking and
contractile properties and is regulated by the phosphorylation of its light and heavy chains …

Actomyosin contractility affects cellular organization within tissues in part through the
generation of mechanical forces at sites of cell–matrix and cell–cell contact. While increased …

Morphogenesis is the remarkable process by which cells self-assemble into complex tissues
and organs that exhibit specialized form and function during embryological development …

The epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin)–catenin complex binds to cytoskeletal components and
regulatory and signaling molecules to form a mature adherens junction (AJ). This dynamic …

Cell shape changes underlie a large set of biological processes ranging from cell division to
cell motility. Stereotyped patterns of cell shape changes also determine tissue remodeling …

Throughout development, epithelial sheets of cells undergo dramatic rearrangements, such
as tissue folding and invagination, to generate complex three-dimensional organs in a …

The adult mammalian intestine is composed of two connected structures, the absorptive villi
and the crypts, which house progenitor cells. Mouse crypts develop postnatally and are the …

Vertebrates have a unique 3D body shape in which correct tissue and organ shape and
alignment are essential for function. For example, vision requires the lens to be centred in …

Biologists have long recognized that dramatic bending of a cell sheet may be driven by even
modest shrinking of the apical sides of cells. Cell shape changes and tissue movements like …