---
_id: '9316'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: Embryo morphogenesis is impacted by dynamic changes in tissue material properties,
which have been proposed to occur via processes akin to phase transitions (PTs).
Here, we show that rigidity percolation provides a simple and robust theoretical
framework to predict material/structural PTs of embryonic tissues from local cell
connectivity. By using percolation theory, combined with directly monitoring dynamic
changes in tissue rheology and cell contact mechanics, we demonstrate that the
zebrafish blastoderm undergoes a genuine rigidity PT, brought about by a small
reduction in adhesion-dependent cell connectivity below a critical value. We quantitatively
predict and experimentally verify hallmarks of PTs, including power-law exponents
and associated discontinuities of macroscopic observables. Finally, we show that
this uniform PT depends on blastoderm cells undergoing meta-synchronous divisions
causing random and, consequently, uniform changes in cell connectivity. Collectively,
our theoretical and experimental findings reveal the structural basis of material
PTs in an organismal context.
acknowledged_ssus:
- _id: Bio
- _id: PreCl
acknowledgement: We thank Carl Goodrich and the members of the Heisenberg and Hannezo
groups, in particular Reka Korei, for help, technical advice, and discussions; and
the Bioimaging and zebrafish facilities of the IST Austria for continuous support.
This work was supported by the Elise Richter Program of Austrian Science Fund (FWF)
to N.I.P. ( V 736-B26 ) and the European Union (European Research Council Advanced
Grant 742573 to C.-P.H. and European Research Council Starting Grant 851288 to E.H.).
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Nicoletta
full_name: Petridou, Nicoletta
id: 2A003F6C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Petridou
orcid: 0000-0002-8451-1195
- first_name: Bernat
full_name: Corominas-Murtra, Bernat
id: 43BE2298-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Corominas-Murtra
orcid: 0000-0001-9806-5643
- first_name: Carl-Philipp J
full_name: Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp J
id: 39427864-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Heisenberg
orcid: 0000-0002-0912-4566
- first_name: Edouard B
full_name: Hannezo, Edouard B
id: 3A9DB764-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Hannezo
orcid: 0000-0001-6005-1561
citation:
ama: Petridou N, Corominas-Murtra B, Heisenberg C-PJ, Hannezo EB. Rigidity percolation
uncovers a structural basis for embryonic tissue phase transitions. Cell.
2021;184(7):1914-1928.e19. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.017
apa: Petridou, N., Corominas-Murtra, B., Heisenberg, C.-P. J., & Hannezo, E.
B. (2021). Rigidity percolation uncovers a structural basis for embryonic tissue
phase transitions. Cell. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.017
chicago: Petridou, Nicoletta, Bernat Corominas-Murtra, Carl-Philipp J Heisenberg,
and Edouard B Hannezo. “Rigidity Percolation Uncovers a Structural Basis for Embryonic
Tissue Phase Transitions.” Cell. Elsevier, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.017.
ieee: N. Petridou, B. Corominas-Murtra, C.-P. J. Heisenberg, and E. B. Hannezo,
“Rigidity percolation uncovers a structural basis for embryonic tissue phase transitions,”
Cell, vol. 184, no. 7. Elsevier, p. 1914–1928.e19, 2021.
ista: Petridou N, Corominas-Murtra B, Heisenberg C-PJ, Hannezo EB. 2021. Rigidity
percolation uncovers a structural basis for embryonic tissue phase transitions.
Cell. 184(7), 1914–1928.e19.
mla: Petridou, Nicoletta, et al. “Rigidity Percolation Uncovers a Structural Basis
for Embryonic Tissue Phase Transitions.” Cell, vol. 184, no. 7, Elsevier,
2021, p. 1914–1928.e19, doi:10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.017.
short: N. Petridou, B. Corominas-Murtra, C.-P.J. Heisenberg, E.B. Hannezo, Cell
184 (2021) 1914–1928.e19.
corr_author: '1'
date_created: 2021-04-11T22:01:14Z
date_published: 2021-04-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2025-07-10T12:01:42Z
day: '01'
ddc:
- '570'
department:
- _id: CaHe
- _id: EdHa
doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.017
ec_funded: 1
external_id:
isi:
- '000636734000022'
pmid:
- '33730596'
file:
- access_level: open_access
checksum: 1e5295fbd9c2a459173ec45a0e8a7c2e
content_type: application/pdf
creator: cziletti
date_created: 2021-06-08T10:04:10Z
date_updated: 2021-06-08T10:04:10Z
file_id: '9534'
file_name: 2021_Cell_Petridou.pdf
file_size: 11405875
relation: main_file
success: 1
file_date_updated: 2021-06-08T10:04:10Z
has_accepted_license: '1'
intvolume: ' 184'
isi: 1
issue: '7'
language:
- iso: eng
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
month: '04'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: 1914-1928.e19
pmid: 1
project:
- _id: 260F1432-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
call_identifier: H2020
grant_number: '742573'
name: Interaction and feedback between cell mechanics and fate specification in
vertebrate gastrulation
- _id: 05943252-7A3F-11EA-A408-12923DDC885E
call_identifier: H2020
grant_number: '851288'
name: Design Principles of Branching Morphogenesis
- _id: 2693FD8C-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
call_identifier: FWF
grant_number: V00736
name: Tissue material properties in embryonic development
publication: Cell
publication_identifier:
eissn:
- 1097-4172
issn:
- 0092-8674
publication_status: published
publisher: Elsevier
quality_controlled: '1'
related_material:
link:
- description: News on IST Homepage
relation: press_release
url: https://ist.ac.at/en/news/embryonic-tissue-undergoes-phase-transition/
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Rigidity percolation uncovers a structural basis for embryonic tissue phase
transitions
tmp:
image: /images/cc_by.png
legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
name: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0)
short: CC BY (4.0)
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 184
year: '2021'
...