Planar polarized force propagation integrates cell behavior with tissue shaping during convergent extension.

Abstract

Convergent extension (CE) is an evolutionarily conserved developmental process that elongates tissues and organs via collective cell movements known as cell intercalation. Here, we sought to understand the mechanisms connecting cell behaviors and tissue shaping. We focus on an often-overlooked aspect of cell intercalation, the resolution of 4-cell vertices. Our data reveal that imbalanced cellular forces are involved in a timely vertex resolution, which, in turn, enables the propagation of such cellular forces, facilitating the propagation of tissue-scale CE. Conversely, delayed vertex resolution leads to a subtle but significant change in tissue-wide cell packing and exerts a profound impact by blocking force propagation, resulting in CE propagation defects. Our findings propose a collaborative nature of local cell intercalations in propagating tissue-wide CE. It unveils a multiscale biomechanical synergy underpinning the cellular mechanisms that orchestrate tissue morphogenesis during CE.