Adjusting the range of cell-cell communication enables fine-tuning of cell fate patterns from checkerboard to engulfing

TL;DR

This paper introduces a mathematical model that manipulates cell-cell communication parameters to control and generate diverse spatial cell fate patterns, from checkerboard to engulfing, during development.

Contribution

The authors develop an analytically tractable model linking signaling dispersion to pattern formation, enabling precise control of cell fate proportions and arrangements.

Findings

Nearest neighbor signaling produces checkerboard patterns.

Increasing signal dispersion creates clusters and engulfing patterns.

Model reliably generates various heterogeneous cell patterns.

Abstract

During development, spatio-temporal patterns ranging from checkerboard to engulfing occur with precise proportions of the respective cell fates. Key developmental regulators are intracellular transcriptional interactions and intercellular signaling. We present an analytically tractable mathematical model based on signaling that reliably generates different cell type patterns with specified proportions. Employing statistical mechanics, We derived a cell fate decision model for two cell types. A detailed steady state analysis on the resulting dynamical system yielded necessary conditions to generate spatially heterogeneous patterns. This allows the cell type proportions to be controlled by a single model parameter. Cell-cell communication is realized by local and global signaling mechanisms. These result in different cell type patterns. A nearest neighbor signal yields checkerboard patterns. Increasing the signal dispersion, cell fate clusters and an engulfing pattern can be generated. Altogether, the presented model allows to reliably generate heterogeneous cell type patterns of different kinds as well as desired proportions.