Branching morphogenesis is ubiquitous and may involve several different mechanisms. Glandular morphogenesis is affected by growth, cell rearrangements, changes in the basal lamina, changes in the stromal ECM, changes in cell–cell and cell–ECM adhesions, mesenchymal contractility, and possibly other mechanisms. We have developed a 3D model of the mechanics of clefting, focusing in this paper solely on the potential role of mesenchyme-generated traction forces. The tissue mechanics are assumed to be those of fluids, and the hypothesized traction forces are modeled as advected by the deformations which they generate. We find that mesenchymal traction forces are sufficient to generate a cleft of the correct size and morphology, in the correct time frame. We find that viscosity of the tissues affects the time course of morphogenesis, and also affects the resulting form of the organ. Morphology is also strongly dependent on the initial distribution of contractility. We suggest an in vitro method of examining the role of mesenchyme in branching morphogenesis.
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