English

Fluid pumping and active flexoelectricity can promote lumen nucleation in cell assemblies

Biological Physics 2019-09-27 v2 Soft Condensed Matter Cell Behavior

Abstract

We discuss the physical mechanisms that promote or suppress the nucleation of a fluid-filled lumen inside a cell assembly or a tissue. We discuss lumen formation in a continuum theory of tissue material properties in which the tissue is described as a two-fluid system to account for its permeation by the interstitial fluid, and we include fluid pumping as well as active electric effects. Considering a spherical geometry and a polarized tissue, our work shows that fluid pumping and tissue flexoelectricity play a crucial role in lumen formation. We furthermore explore the large variety of long-time states that are accessible for the cell aggregate and its lumen. Our work reveals a role of the coupling of mechanical, electrical and hydraulic phenomena in tissue lumen formation.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1905.08023,
  title  = {Fluid pumping and active flexoelectricity can promote lumen nucleation in cell assemblies},
  author = {Charlie Duclut and Niladri Sarkar and Jacques Prost and Frank Jülicher},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1905.08023},
  year   = {2019}
}

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R2 v1 2026-06-23T09:13:03.324Z