Muscular hydraulics drive larva-polyp morphogenesis
Abstract
Development is a highly dynamic process in which organisms often experience changes in both form and behavior, which are typically coupled to each other. However, little is known about how organismal-scale behaviors such as body contractility and motility impact morphogenesis. Here, we use the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis as a developmental model to uncover a mechanistic link between organismal size, shape, and behavior. Using quantitative live imaging in a large population of developing animals, combined with molecular and biophysical experiments, we demonstrate that the muscular-hydraulic machinery that controls body movement also drives larva-polyp morphogenesis. We show that organismal size largely depends on cavity inflation through fluid uptake, whereas body shape is constrained by the organization of the muscular system. The generation of ethograms identifies different trajectories of size and shape development in sessile and motile animals, which display distinct patterns of body contractions. With a simple theoretical model, we conceptualize how pressures generated by muscular hydraulics can act as a global mechanical regulator that coordinates tissue remodeling. Altogether, our findings illustrate how organismal contractility and motility behaviors can influence morphogenesis.
Related
- Surface Tension and Stalk Elongation Drive Dictyostelium Morphogenesis
- An NKX2-3/5/6 homolog is required downstream of BMP signaling to pattern the sensory-adhesive organ of a tunicate larva
- Biomechanics-guided computational design of virtual terrestrial vertebrate morphogenesis
- Loss of nono impairs cardiac morphogenesis and excitation–contraction coupling via the PI3K/Akt pathway in zebrafish
- Dynamic control of cell state transitions during tissue morphogenesis
BibTeX
@article{stokkermans2026muscular,
title = {{Muscular hydraulics drive larva-polyp morphogenesis}},
author = {Anniek Stokkermans and Aditi Chakrabarti and Kaushikaram Subramanian and Ling Wang and Sifan Yin and Prachiti Moghe and Petrus Steenbergen and Gregor Mönke and Takashi Hiiragi and Robert Prevedel and L. Mahadevan and Aissam Ikmi},
journal = {Current Biology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.065},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05793082v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Muscular hydraulics drive larva-polyp morphogenesis
AU - Anniek Stokkermans
AU - Aditi Chakrabarti
AU - Kaushikaram Subramanian
AU - Ling Wang
AU - Sifan Yin
AU - Prachiti Moghe
AU - Petrus Steenbergen
AU - Gregor Mönke
AU - Takashi Hiiragi
AU - Robert Prevedel
AU - L. Mahadevan
AU - Aissam Ikmi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/11
JO - Current Biology
DO - 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.065
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05793082v1
AB - Development is a highly dynamic process in which organisms often experience changes in both form and behavior, which are typically coupled to each other. However, little is known about how organismal-scale behaviors such as body contractility and motility impact morphogenesis. Here, we use the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis as a developmental model to uncover a mechanistic link between organismal size, shape, and behavior. Using quantitative live imaging in a large population of developing animals, combined with molecular and biophysical experiments, we demonstrate that the muscular-hydraulic machinery that controls body movement also drives larva-polyp morphogenesis. We show that organismal size largely depends on cavity inflation through fluid uptake, whereas body shape is constrained by the organization of the muscular system. The generation of ethograms identifies different trajectories of size and shape development in sessile and motile animals, which display distinct patterns of body contractions. With a simple theoretical model, we conceptualize how pressures generated by muscular hydraulics can act as a global mechanical regulator that coordinates tissue remodeling. Altogether, our findings illustrate how organismal contractility and motility behaviors can influence morphogenesis.
SN - 0960-9822
SN - 1879-0445
ER -