{
  "abstract": "The cytoplasm is a crowded, active medium whose mechanical properties underpin essential cellular functions, yet how intracellular rheology adapts during tissue maturation remains unclear. Here, we examine the evolution of cytoplasmic viscoelasticity in Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial monolayers as cell density increases. Using magnetic rotational spectroscopy, an active microrheology technique, we quantify zero-shear viscosity and elastic modulus throughout monolayer maturation. We uncover a substantial enhancement of intracellular viscoelasticity correlated with increasing cell density and a concomitant rise in cellular dry mass concentration. Hyperosmotic perturbations on subconfluent monolayers reproduce this effect, confirming cytoplasmic crowding as a driver of rheological changes. Notably, intracellular viscoelasticity scales linearly with dry mass concentration, suggesting a direct coupling between internal mechanics and cytoplasmic concentration during epithelial maturation. These findings establish a link between tissue-level organization and intracellular mechanics, highlighting cytoplasmic crowding as a regulator of epithelial homeostasis and providing a framework to connect rheology with tissue behavior.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France.",
    "Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France.",
    "Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, Institut Fresnel, 13013 Marseille, France.",
    "Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 75005 Paris, France.",
    "Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, F-75013 Paris, France.",
    "Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.",
    "Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin and Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, 91054 Erlangen, Germany."
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Gregory Arkowitz",
      "orcid": "0009-0008-7094-9445"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Olivier Destrian",
      "orcid": "0009-0003-4515-8602"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Anis Aggoun",
      "orcid": "0009-0002-7283-0743"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Marc-Antoine Fardin",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0856-691X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Pascal Berto",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1664-257X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Gilles Tessier",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3558-925X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "René-Marc Mège",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8128-5543"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Jean-François Berret",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5458-8653"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        5,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Benoit Ladoux",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2086-1556"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e4f39bv0vpx64.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1126/sciadv.aeh7786",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13733821/",
  "id": "e4f39bv0vpx64",
  "issns": [
    "2375-2548"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/sciadv.aeh7786",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Biomedicine and Life Sciences"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Biophysics"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Cell Biology"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Research Article"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "SciAdv r-articles"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": "PMC13733821",
  "pmid": "42981405",
  "published": "2026-11-04",
  "publisher": "American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e4f39bv0vpx64.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-05T00:20:34Z",
      "native_id": "10.1126/sciadv.aeh7786",
      "source": "feed-science",
      "url": "https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/sciadv.aeh7786"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-05T00:20:35Z",
      "native_id": "10.1126/sciadv.aeh7786",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeh7786"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-08T12:23:31Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13733821",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeh7786"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "heading:Biophysics",
      "subfield": "biophysics"
    },
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "heading:Cell Biology",
      "subfield": "cell-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Cytoplasmic crowding drives intracellular viscoelastic increase during epithelial maturation",
  "title_text": "Cytoplasmic crowding drives intracellular viscoelastic increase during epithelial maturation",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-08T12:23:31Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e4f39bv0vpx64",
  "venue": "Science Advances",
  "versions": []
}