β-Catenin controls cell sorting at the notochord–somite boundary independently of cadherin-mediated adhesion

In Xenopus laevis, patterning of the trunk mesoderm into the dorsal notochord and lateral somites depends on differential regulation of Wnt–β-catenin signaling. To study the cellular requirements for the physical separation of these tissues, we manipulated β-catenin activity in individual cells that were scattered within the trunk mesoderm. We found that high activity led to efficient cell sorting from the notochord to the somites, whereas reduced activity led to sorting in the opposite direction. Analysis of individual cells overexpressing β-catenin revealed that these cells were unable to establish stable contacts with notochord cells but could freely cross the boundary to integrate within the somitic tissue. Interference with cadherin-mediated adhesion disrupted tissue architecture, but it did not affect sorting and boundary formation. Based on these results, we propose that the boundary itself is the result of cell-autonomous changes in contact behavior that do not rely on differences in absolute levels of adhesion.