About this Research Topic
During embryonic development, each cell is generated at a specific location within the embryo and then moves into its intended destination. At this destination, associated cells assemble together, eventually leading to the formation of tissues and organs. Finely tuned orchestration of cell adhesion and migration produces the global movement of cell groups, termed collective cell migration, which is essential for the development of basic tissue structures such as spheres, clusters, and vesicles in the morphogenetic processes of development. In addition, transformation from the cell adhesion state into cell migration state and vice versa can be seen in different morphogenetic processes, which are called the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and mesenchymal-epithelial transition, respectively. Therefore, individual regulation, orchestration, and transformation of cell adhesion and migration are quite important for appropriate tissue formation during development. Analyses based on genetics, gain- or loss-of-function of genes, and gene profiling have identified gene networks that precisely control cell adhesion and migration. Live imaging technique of cells, molecules, and signals in embryos has elucidated the dynamics of cell adhesion and migration during development. Analyses using laser, optical tweezers, or atomic force microscopy have revealed that physical forces play a pivotal role in cell adhesion and migration. The specific aim of this research topic is to understand how cell adhesion and migration are regulated, orchestrated, and transformed during development and how cell adhesion and migration affects tissue formation during development. We welcome the contributions of both review and original research articles that discuss these regulatory mechanisms of cell adhesion and migration during the development of different multicellular organisms. We also welcome articles that describe advances in live imaging that reveals the dynamics of cell adhesion and migration within embryos, that establish new methodologies to measure/manipulate mechanical forces applying to cell adhesion and migration in living embryos, and that generate new mathematical models regarding cell adhesion and migration.
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