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Society for Mathematical Biology Conference
July 30 - August 2, 2008
Centre for Mathematical Medicine, Fields Institute
Toronto, Canada

Organizers
Organizing Committee: S.Sivaloganathan-Chair(Waterloo), M.Kohandel (Waterloo), I.Pressman(Carleton), F.Skinner(Toronto Western Research Inst.), H. Zhu(York)

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Myotome formation and the importance of shape
by
Edward Flach
Innovative Methods of Computing, Technical University Dresden
Coauthors: Lutz Brusch, Andy Oates, Andreas Deutsch

Dramatic cell shape change and relative movement are readily observable in the differentiation of muscle cells during early embryonic development of zebrafish. An initial population of cuboidal “adaxial” cells specified in the early embryo differentiate into rod-shaped cells that form the slow-twitch muscle fibres used by the fish to swim through the water. There is a complex and stereotypical shape change and spatial rearrangement of the cells at the collective level.

We consider the underlying dynamics of the cell required to effect this change. We produce a minimal model which can reproduce the behaviour. Using a simulation we investigate the balance of forces required.

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Date received: May 5, 2008

Copyright © 2008 by the author(s). The author(s) of this document and the organizers of the conference have granted their consent to include this abstract in Atlas Conferences Inc. Document # cawd-52.