In vivo validation of ectopic invagination under external compressive gradients

Determine whether applying an external compressive gradient to Drosophila embryos in vivo induces ectopic invagination, as predicted by the integrated vertex model with regulatory feedback.

Background

The integrated vertex-regulatory model developed in the paper predicts that an externally imposed compressive gradient on the ectoderm can generate an ectopic twist gradient and thereby drive ectopic invagination.

This prediction has not yet been validated in living embryos, and experimental confirmation would test the model’s proposed mechanical-feedback mechanism linking deformation, twist expression, and force generation.