During development, cells operate in a complex geometrical environment. Geometry can inform morphogenesis by patterning mechanical and chemical signals. Yet, how this feedback occurs remains elusive.

Using elegant imaging tools, mechanical perturbation, and modeling, the authors show that positive tissue curvature defines the site of highest ERK activity in lung epithelium. In turn, ERK dampens the curvature by promoting actin-mediated apical extension of cells. This negative feedback loop generates the branching pattern in developing lungs.

These findings reinforce the notion that tissue geometry is necessary to comprehensively understand and recapitulate morphogenesis. This study will appeal to the broad cell and developmental biology community, as well as labs focusing on tissue engineering and in vitro organ models.

This preprint has been assigned the following badges: New Hypothesis, Cross-Validation.

Read the preprint on bioRxiv (Hirashima and Matsuda, 2022): https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.11.451982.