Figure 2

MDCK and simulated cysts. (A) MDCK cells grown in 3D extracellular matrix form lumen-enclosing cystic structures surrounded by a layer of polarized cells. Cells composing cysts maintain three surfaces: apical (red), basal and lateral (green). Note the roundish contour typical of MDCK cysts. For growth and staining details, see [22]. Bar: ~10 μm. (B) Representative, stable ISEA CYSTS. CELLS in EMBEDDED condition produced stable, cystic structures enclosing LUMINAL SPACE; all CELLS were POLARIZED (red). CYSTS had convex shapes. (C) This illustration shows that convex polygonal CYSTS in discretized 2D hexagonal space map to a roundish structures in continuous 2D space. Because such a mapping provides no added scientific or mechanistic information, subsequent ISEA structures are shown as they appeared at simulation's end in 2D hexagonal space.