Martin Lab of Morphogenesis

To form a complex organ, simple tissues must be folded, stretched, compressed, and otherwise sculpted into a precise form in a process called tissue morphogenesis. One of the most dramatic examples of tissue morphogenesis occurs during embryonic development, when primitive planar tissues are folded to generate separate layers that will give rise to different parts of the body during gastrulation. Tissue morphogenesis requires that cytoskeletal machines generate forces that change cell shape and deform the tissue. The molecular mechanism by which the cytoskeleton generates force is not known for many of the diverse cell shape changes and tissue movements that underlie morphogenesis. Furthermore, how force generation by hundreds or thousands of cells is coordinated by biochemical and mechanical signals in a tissue is an important step to understand how cells collectively deform a tissue.

The Martin lab is interested in how tissues get their shape. Given that tissue morphogenesis fundamentally involves movement, we have developed a system to visualize and quantify the dynamics of molecules, cells, and tissues during gastrulation. We focus on mesoderm invagination in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, and mouse model system. 

The Martin lab is interested in how tissues get into shape. Understanding tissue shape requires understanding how cells generate force and work together to collectively sculpt a tissue. One system that a cell uses to generate force is the actin-myosin cytoskeleton; a network composed of the molecular motor myosin, which slides actin filaments together to pull on boundaries of the cell (contractile force). We have elucidated how cells generate force and how this force is propagated to the tissue-level to fold a tissue. We continue to study how tissue integrity is regulated and also investigate mechanisms that regulate the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT and cell division orientation. We do so using fruit fly and mouse model systems. We have an ongoing collaboration with experts in physical mechanisms of pattern formation and mathematical modeling (Jörn Dunkel’s lab, Math) to learn new things and solve interdisciplinary problems.