Fig. 1: Presentation of the computational model.

a Diagram representing the simulated cells with the various dynamic springs controlling cell–cell adhesion (apical-to-apical, red, connecting adjacent apical points, shown as red dots), cell–matrix adhesions (nucleus-to-basal spring, black, connecting basal points to the basal line, shown as black dots), the viscoelastic-like properties of the cell body (apical-to-nucleus and nucleus-to-basal springs, black), the alignment of the apical point, nucleus and basal point (straightness spring, green). b Overview of the simplified cell cycle implemented in the model. The apical-to-nucleus spring contracts in active G2 and M phases, the hard core of the nucleus increases in M phase. c Table of computational events used to simulate EMT-like scenarios throughout the study. Note that P is a secondary event as it can only occur if B happened. d, h Initial organization of the tissue at t0 for individual cell simulations (d) and group simulations (h). The EMT-like cell is marked in red. e–g, i Diagrams depicting the three types of outcome that were monitored during simulations, examples are shown for single cell simulations (e–g) and groups (i) with loss of apical adhesion (A). INM interkinetic movements, M mitosis, PRAM pre-mitotic rapid apical movements.