The Function of Mechanical Tension in Neuronal and Network Development

A bewildering series of dynamic processes participate in the proper development of the complex architecture of the nervous system. Recent years have seen a growing interest in the role of mechanical forces in neural development. This is an exciting field of multidisciplinary study that encompasses biology, physics and engineering and enjoys both conceptual and technical recent advances in all of these areas. Here I present an update of very recent work on several related questions, including the role of neurite and axonal tension in the development of single neuron morphology, the effects of mechanical cues from the substrate, the role of tension in axonal pruning and synaptogenesis, and more. Particular emphasis is placed on the very recent and exciting shift from descriptive mechanics to a possible role for tension forces in neuronal and network function.