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Interacting active surfaces: A model for three-dimensional cell aggregates

Fig 6

(A) Simulation results (equilibrium shapes) for a planar sheet for different values of the adhesion parameter (, ).

(B) Reduced volume v as a function of . (C) Schematic for the measured apical and basal cell surface area A^ab, lateral surface area A^l, side length a and cell thickness h_c. (D) Results are compared to a simple 3D vertex model with a lateral surface tension γ_l and apical and basal surface tension γ_ab. (E) Box plots: ratio of apico-basal to lateral surface area 2A^ab/A^l for the center cells, as a function of the adhesion parameter . Dashed black, blue and green lines: prediction of simplified theories describing the cell shape as an hexagonal prism, a cylinder with two spherical caps, and the union of a hexagonal prism with two spherical caps. Inset: cellular aspect ratio a/h_c, with a measuring the side of the hexagonal face and h_c the thickness of the sheet, as a function of . Here and h_c = A^l/(6a). (F) Schematic for the polar vector P characterising the asymmetry of the cell shape. (G) Box plot for P_z (blue) and |P_z| (red). As adhesion increases, cells deform asymmetrically in the direction orthogonal to the planar sheet.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010762.g006