Regulation of tissue morphodynamics: an important role for actomyosin contractility

Abstract

Forces arising from contractile actomyosin filaments help shape tissue form during morphogenesis. Developmental events that result from actomyosin contractility include tissue elongation, bending, budding, and collective migration. Here, we highlight recent insights into these morphogenetic processes from the perspective of actomyosin contractility as a key regulator. Emphasis is placed on a range of results obtained through live imaging, culture, and computational methods. Combining these approaches in the future has the potential to generate a robust, quantitative understanding of tissue morphodynamics.