Morphogen gradients instruct cells to pattern tissues. Although the mechanisms by which morphogens transduce chemical signals have been extensively studied, the roles and regulation of the physical communication between morphogen-receiver cells remain unclear. Here, we show that the Wnt/β-catenin–morphogen gradient, which patterns the embryonic anterior-posterior (AP) axis, generates intercellular tension gradients along the AP axis by controlling membrane cadherin levels in zebrafish embryos. This “mechano-gradient” is used for the cell competition–driven correction of noisy morphogen gradients. Naturally and artificially generated unfit cells, producing noisy Wnt/β-catenin gradients, induce local deformation of the mechano-gradients that activate mechanosensitive calcium channels in the neighboring fit cells, which then secrete annexin A1a to kill unfit cells. Thus, chemo-mechanical interconversion–mediated competitive communication between the morphogen-receiver cells ensures precise tissue patterning.

中文翻译：

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机械梯度驱动形态发生素噪声校正，以确保稳健的图形


形态发生素梯度指示细胞对组织进行模式化。尽管形态发生素转导化学信号的机制已被广泛研究，但形态发生素-受体细胞之间物理通讯的作用和调节仍不清楚。在这里，我们表明，通过控制斑马鱼胚胎中的膜钙粘蛋白水平，模式胚胎前后 （AP） 轴的 Wnt/β-catenin-morphogen 梯度沿 AP 轴产生细胞间张力梯度。这种“机械梯度”用于细胞竞争驱动的噪声形态发生素梯度校正。自然和人工生成的不适应细胞，产生嘈杂的 Wnt/β-catenin 梯度，诱导机械梯度的局部变形，从而激活邻近适应细胞中的机械敏感钙通道，然后分泌膜联蛋白 A1a 杀死不适应的细胞。因此，形态发生素受体细胞之间化学-机械相互转化介导的竞争性通讯确保了精确的组织模式化。