Local weakening of cell-extracellular matrix adhesion triggers basal epithelial tissue folding

During development, epithelial sheets sculpt organs by folding, either apically or basally, into complex 3D structures. Given the presence of actomyosin networks and cell adhesion sites on both sides of cells, a common machinery mediating apical and basal epithelial tissue folding has been proposed. However, unlike for apical folding, little is known about the mechanisms that regulate epithelial folding towards the basal side. Here, using the Drosophila wing imaginal disc and combining genetic perturbations and computational modelling, we demonstrate opposing roles for cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesion systems during epithelial folding. While cadherin-mediated adhesion, linked to actomyosin network, regulates apical folding, a localized reduction on integrin-dependent adhesion, followed by changes in cell shape and re-organization of the basal actomyosin cytoskeleton and E-Cadherin (E-Cad) levels, is necessary and sufficient to trigger basal folding. These results suggest that modulation of the cell mechanical landscape through the crosstalk between integrins and cadherins is essential for correct epithelial folding.