eLife (Aug 2021)

Apical contacts stemming from incomplete delamination guide progenitor cell allocation through a dragging mechanism

  • Eduardo Pulgar,
  • Cornelia Schwayer,
  • Néstor Guerrero,
  • Loreto López,
  • Susana Márquez,
  • Steffen Härtel,
  • Rodrigo Soto,
  • Carl-Philipp Heisenberg,
  • Miguel L Concha

DOI
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.66483
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10

Abstract

Read online

The developmental strategies used by progenitor cells to allow a safe journey from their induction place towards the site of terminal differentiation are still poorly understood. Here, we uncovered a mechanism of progenitor cell allocation that stems from an incomplete process of epithelial delamination that allows progenitors to coordinate their movement with adjacent extra-embryonic tissues. Progenitors of the zebrafish laterality organ originate from the superficial epithelial enveloping layer by an apical constriction process of cell delamination. During this process, progenitors retain long-lasting apical contacts that enable the epithelial layer to pull a subset of progenitors on their way to the vegetal pole. The remaining delaminated cells follow the movement of apically attached progenitors by a protrusion-dependent cell-cell contact mechanism, avoiding sequestration by the adjacent endoderm, ensuring their collective fate and allocation at the site of differentiation. Thus, we reveal that incomplete delamination serves as a cellular platform for coordinated tissue movements during development.

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