Creases as information bottlenecks in active elastic sheets

Published Jun 02, 2026 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.msbcc2gd0

Data files

Jun 02, 2026 version files 14.31 GB

Abstract

This dataset contains microscopy data used in our study, "Creases as information bottlenecks in active elastic sheets," which pertains to the folding and unfolding behavior exhibited by the early-diverging animal Trichoplax adhaerens. To study this behavior, we performed time lapse microscopy to extract crease/twist and ciliary dynamics. By imaging the animal's ventral surface during unfolding behavior, we identify sharp crease lines that undergo rapid geometric and topological remodeling, dynamically compartmentalizing the contact domain between the animal and its substrate. Through cilia-resolved imaging, we find that creases and twists locally disrupt ciliary coordination, act as information bottlenecks between adjacent ciliary patches, and establish a feedback loop between ciliary activity and crease geometry. We further confirm these findings via high-magnification imaging of crease dynamics, which enables the simultaneous observation of crease evolution and the local tissue motion direction field.

Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.msbcc2gd0

Description of the data and file structure

Dataset README

This dataset contains microscopy data from Trichoplax adhaerens unfolding experiments focused on crease dynamics and ciliary coordination. This data is associated with the

1. Whole-animal crease data

Low-magnification time-lapse microscopy of whole animals during unfolding behavior.
Captures the ventral surface of the animal as it transitions from folded/creased states to a flatter state.
Creases appear as 2D lines corresponding to the base geometry of 3D folds.
Data is used for extracting:
- whole-animal body/substrate contact contours,
- segmented crease line geometries,
- total crease length over time,
- contact area and body-shape metrics,
- crease position across the animal,
- bulk crease-network topology during unfolding.
These data were collected using low-concentration fluorescein to improve crease contrast.
Typical analysis outputs include binary crease masks, skeletonized crease networks, animal outlines, and time-resolved measurements of crease geometry.

2. High-magnification crease data

Higher-resolution microscopy focused on local crease dynamics rather than the entire animal.
Captures individual crease remodeling events over short timescales.
Data are suitable for identifying and tracking crease “unit operations,” including:
These movies are useful for quantifying single-crease behavior, including splitting events, and were used for PIV analysis to visualize the tissue motion direction field simultaneously with crease remodeling events.

3. Cilia data

High-magnification, single-cilia-resolved microscopy of animals in simple folded or twisted two-patch configurations.
Captures individual ventral cilia as the folding state evolves.
Data are suitable for extracting:
- individual cilia orientations,
- cilia orientation distributions within each patch,
- patch-averaged cilia orientation over time,
- inter-patch orientation differences,
These data were collected using high-magnification DIC microscopy and analyzed by segmenting individual cilia and fitting ellipses to estimate their orientation.
Patch identities and fold/twist orientation can be manually annotated so that cilia orientations can be reported relative to the crease, fold, or twist axis.
Typical analysis outputs include segmented cilia masks, orientation-angle distributions, and time series of patch-wise ciliary coordination.

Files and variables

File: high_mag_crease_data.zip

Description: High-magnification crease timelapses (N=6)

File: whole_animal_crease_data.zip

Description: Whole-animal crease timelapses (N=11)

File: cilia_data.zip

Description: Fold and twist cilia timelapses (N=6, N=6)

Code/software

Data can be viewed using Fiji/ImageJ.