Speaker
Description
Mathematical models present numerous advantages when studying biological issues, mainly because they enable us to explore hypotheses that cannot be tested in vitro and even less in vivo, such as evolutionary scenarii, possible alternative mechanisms or arbitrary setting of physiological parameters.
In this talk, we will use a 3D agents-based model to explore the question of how biological tissues acquire their 3D functional architecture. The spatial organization of any living tissue has a deep impact on this tissue's functionality. We focus on the case of white adipose tissue (WAT), which can represent up to 50\% of the body weight and is now recognized to be an important endocrine organ involved in all physiological functions. Mature WAT consists of lobular clusters of adipocyte cells surrounded by an organized collagen fiber network. However, tridimensional observations show that the cells clusters are not as well separated as what 2D imaging could lead us to believe, but are instead organized into connected macro-structures \cite{Dichamp2019}. Hence, a fully tridimensional investigation of how WAT acquires its functional structure is needed.
Our hypothesis is that the emergence of WAT structuration could be explained by simple mechanical interactions between adipocyte cells and collagen fibers \cite{Peurichard2017}. To test it, we developed an agent-based model featuring cells represented as spheres appearing and growing in a dynamical 3D network of cross-linked spherocylinders (modelling the collagen fibers) \cite{Chassonnery2024}. Using state-of-the-art 3D data visualization and segmentation tools, we will show that this model is able to produce cell structures morphologically similar to those observed in experimental images \cite{ChassonneryInPrep}. Through fine parametrical analysis, we will identify the key parameters of the model and study their influence on the simulation outcome. We will show that this simple model can give insights on how complex 3D cell and fiber structures could spontaneously emerge as a result of simple mechanical interactions between cells and fibers, highlighting the key role of mechanics in tissue structuration.
List of co-authors: Pauline Chassonnery, Jenny Paupert, Anne Lorsignol, Childérick Séverac, Marielle Ousset, Pierre Degond, Louis Casteilla, Diane Peurichard.
Bibliography
@article{Dichamp2019,
author = {Dichamp, J. and Barreau, C. and Guissard, C. and Carrière, A. and Martinez, Y. and Descombes, X. and Pénicaud, L. and Rouquette, J. and Casteilla, L. and Plouraboué, F. and Lorsignol, A.},
title = {3D analysis of the whole subcutaneous adipose tissue reveals a complex spatial network of interconnected lobules with heterogeneous browning ability},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
volume = {9},
pages = {6684},
year = {2019}
}
@article{Peurichard2017,
author = {Peurichard, D. and Delebecque, F. and Lorsignol, A. and Barreau, C. and Rouquette, J. and Descombes, X. and Casteilla, L. and Degond, P.},
title = {Simple mechanical cues could explain adipose tissue morphology},
journal = {Journal of Theoretical Biology},
volume = {429},
pages = {61--81},
year = {2017},
doi = {10.1016/j.jtbi.2017.06.030}
}
@article{Chassonnery2024,
author = {Chassonnery, P. and Paupert, J. and Lorsignol, A. and Sévérac, C. and Ousset, M. and Degond, P. and Casteilla, L. and Peurichard, D.},
title = {Fiber crosslinking drives the emergence of order in a three-dimensional dynamical network model},
journal = {Royal Society Open Science},
volume = {11},
pages = {231456},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1098/rsos.231456}
}
@article{ChassonneryInPrep,
author = {Chassonnery, P. and Paupert, J. and Lorsignol, A. and Sévérac, C. and Ousset, M. and Casteilla, L. and Peurichard, D.},
title = {Emergence and robustness of 3D complex tissue architectures from simple physical forces},
journal = {in preparation},
year = {}
}
