Choice of friction coefficient deeply affects tissue behaviour in stochastic epithelial vertex models

To understand the mechanisms that coordinate the formation of biologicaltissues, the use of numerical implementations is necessary. The complexityof such models involves many assumptions and parameter choices thatresult in unpredictable consequences, obstructing the comparison withexperimental data. Here, we focus on vertex models, a family of spatialmodels used extensively to simulate the dynamics of epithelial tissues.Usually, in the literature, the choice of the friction coefficient is not addressedusing quasi-static deformation arguments that generally do not apply torealistic scenarios. In this manuscript, we discuss the role that the choiceof friction coefficient has on the relaxation times and consequently in theconditions of cell cycle progression and division. We explore the effectsthat these changes have on the morphology, growth rate and topologicaltransitions of the tissue dynamics. These results provide a deeper under-standing of the role that an accurate mechanical description plays in theuse of vertex models as inference tools.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue`Causes andconsequences of stochastic processes in development and disease¿.

Choice of friction coefficient deeply affects tissue behaviour in stochastic epithelial vertex models Articles