Data from: Feedback between tissue packing and neurogenesis in the zebrafish neural tube

Balancing the rate of differentiation and proliferation in developing
tissues is essential to produce organs of robust size and composition.
Although many molecular regulators have been established, how these
connect to physical and geometrical aspects of tissue architecture is
poorly understood. Here, using high-resolution timelapse imaging, we find
that changes to cell geometry associated with dense tissue packing play a
significant role in regulating differentiation rate in the zebrafish
neural tube. Specifically, progenitors that are displaced away from the
apical surface due to crowding, tend to differentiate in a Notch-dependent
manner. Using simulations we show that interplay between progenitor
density, cell shape and changes in differentiation rate could naturally
result in negative-feedback control on progenitor cell number. Given these
results, we suggest a model whereby differentiation rate is regulated by
density dependent effects on cell geometry to: (1) correct variability in
cell number; and (2) balance the rates of proliferation and
differentiation over development to ‘fill’ the available space.