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The spatiotemporal organization of cell divisions constitutes an integral part in the development of multicellular organisms, and mis-regulation of cell divisions can lead to severe developmental defects. Cell divisions have an important morphogenetic function in development by regulating growth and shape acquisition of developing tissues, and, conversely, tissue morphogenesis is known to affect both the rate and orientation of cell divisions. Moreover, cell divisions are associated with an extensive reorganization of the cytoskeleton and adhesion apparatus in the dividing cells that in turn can affect large-scale tissue rheological properties. Thus, the interplay between cell divisions and tissue morphogenesis plays a key role in embryo and tissue morphogenesis., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Visualizing and analyzing shape changes at various scales, ranging from single molecules to whole organisms, are essential for understanding complex morphogenetic processes, such as early embryonic development. Embryo morphogenesis relies on the interplay between different tissues, the properties of which are again determined by the interaction between their constituent cells. Cell interactions, on the other hand, are controlled by various molecules, such as signaling and adhesion molecules, which in order to exert their functions need to be spatiotemporally organized within and between the interacting cells. In this review, we will focus on the role of cell adhesion functioning at different scales to organize cell, tissue and embryo morphogenesis. We will specifically ask how the subcellular distribution of adhesion molecules controls the formation of cell-cell contacts, how cell-cell contacts determine tissue shape, and how tissue interactions regulate embryo morphogenesis., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Recent advances in microscopy techniques and biophysical measurements have provided novel insight into the molecular, cellular and biophysical basis of cell adhesion. However, comparably little is known about a core element of cell-cell adhesion--the energy of adhesion at the cell-cell contact. In this review, we discuss approaches to understand the nature and regulation of adhesion energy, and propose strategies to determine adhesion energy between cells in vitro and in vivo., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)