Tuning biochemical patterns by dynamic mechanical deformations

Throughout embryonic development biochemical patterns are crucial for initiating and guiding vital cellular processes. As the geometry of the biological system evolves, patterns also adapt to reflect the new geometry, suggesting that patterning and geometrical deformations are closely coupled. Yet the mechanisms underlying this coordination are not fully understood. Here, we use cortical Rho activity in the oocytes of the starfish Patiria miniata as a model system to explore such coupling in evolving mechanochemical systems. In addition to being highly deformable, the oocyte exhibits versatile and tunable dynamical patterns on the membrane. Through the use of micropipette aspiration, we impose geometrical constraints on the oocyte that can be actively tuned. The evolution of the pattern in response to the changing geometry is probed in real time, revealing the underlying properties of the dynamics. This method provides a novel approach to studying the interplay between biochemical patterning and mechanically evolving biological systems.