Jairo M. Rojas, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Beyond 2D Tissue Mechanics: A 3D Continuum Shell Theory for Epithelial Cells

Two-dimensional (2D) models for confluent tissues correlate the mechanical state of monolayers to morphological indicators, such as the shape of their cellular components. However, this approach proves inadequate for in-vitro cultured MDCK epithelia. Confocal microscopy reveals significant and systematic variations of cross-sectional cell shape along the apical-basal axis, contradicting 2D theory even when averaged. Therefore, we model the shape of the cell boundary in three dimensions using elastic shell theory with appropriate boundary conditions directly related to the cellular actin distribution, particularly the fiber bundles at the basal side. The analytical solutions align with our experimental observations and allow realistic modeling of actin-related cell mechanics based on observable biological effects. This 3D continuum shell model serves as a rich platform for deriving effective morphological indicators aimed at diagnosing tissue mechanics and health.

No poster image available as this presentation involves work yet to be published.