Continuum limits of pattern formation in hexagonal-cell monolayers

Intercellular signalling is key in determining cell fate. In closely packed tissues such as epithelia, juxtacrine signalling is thought to be a mechanism for the generation of fine-grained spatial patterns in cell differentiation commonly observed in early development. Theoretical studies of such...

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Main Authors: O'Dea, Reuben D., King, John R.
Format: Article
Published: Springer 2012
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Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29034/
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author O'Dea, Reuben D.
King, John R.
author_facet O'Dea, Reuben D.
King, John R.
author_sort O'Dea, Reuben D.
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Intercellular signalling is key in determining cell fate. In closely packed tissues such as epithelia, juxtacrine signalling is thought to be a mechanism for the generation of fine-grained spatial patterns in cell differentiation commonly observed in early development. Theoretical studies of such signalling processes have shown that negative feedback between receptor activation and ligand production is a robust mechanism for fine-grained pattern generation and that cell shape is an important factor in the resulting pattern type. It has previously been assumed that such patterns can be analysed only with discrete models since significant variation occurs over a lengthscale concomitant with an individual cell; however, considering a generic juxtacrine signalling model in square cells, in O'Dea \& King (\emph{Multiscale analysis of pattern formation via intercellular signalling}, Accepted in \emph{Math. Biosci.}), a systematic method for the derivation of a continuum model capturing such phenomena due to variations in a model parameter associated with signalling feedback strength was presented. Here, we extend this work to derive continuum models of the more complex fine-grained patterning in hexagonal cells, constructing individual models for the generation of patterns from the homogeneous state and for the transition between patterning modes. In addition, by considering patterning behaviour under the influence of simultaneous variation of feedback parameters, we construct a more general continuum representation, capturing the emergence of the patterning bifurcation structure. Comparison with the steady-state and dynamic behaviour of the underlying discrete system is made; {in particular, we consider pattern-generating travelling waves and the competition between various stable patterning modes, through which we highlight an important deficiency in the ability of continuum representations to accommodate certain dynamics associated with discrete systems.
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spelling nottingham-290342020-05-04T20:21:54Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29034/ Continuum limits of pattern formation in hexagonal-cell monolayers O'Dea, Reuben D. King, John R. Intercellular signalling is key in determining cell fate. In closely packed tissues such as epithelia, juxtacrine signalling is thought to be a mechanism for the generation of fine-grained spatial patterns in cell differentiation commonly observed in early development. Theoretical studies of such signalling processes have shown that negative feedback between receptor activation and ligand production is a robust mechanism for fine-grained pattern generation and that cell shape is an important factor in the resulting pattern type. It has previously been assumed that such patterns can be analysed only with discrete models since significant variation occurs over a lengthscale concomitant with an individual cell; however, considering a generic juxtacrine signalling model in square cells, in O'Dea \& King (\emph{Multiscale analysis of pattern formation via intercellular signalling}, Accepted in \emph{Math. Biosci.}), a systematic method for the derivation of a continuum model capturing such phenomena due to variations in a model parameter associated with signalling feedback strength was presented. Here, we extend this work to derive continuum models of the more complex fine-grained patterning in hexagonal cells, constructing individual models for the generation of patterns from the homogeneous state and for the transition between patterning modes. In addition, by considering patterning behaviour under the influence of simultaneous variation of feedback parameters, we construct a more general continuum representation, capturing the emergence of the patterning bifurcation structure. Comparison with the steady-state and dynamic behaviour of the underlying discrete system is made; {in particular, we consider pattern-generating travelling waves and the competition between various stable patterning modes, through which we highlight an important deficiency in the ability of continuum representations to accommodate certain dynamics associated with discrete systems. Springer 2012-02 Article PeerReviewed O'Dea, Reuben D. and King, John R. (2012) Continuum limits of pattern formation in hexagonal-cell monolayers. Journal of Mathematical Biology, 64 (3). pp. 579-610. ISSN 0303-6812 Continuum limit Multiscale analysis Pattern formation Juxtacrine cell signalling http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00285-011-0427-3 doi:10.1007/s00285-011-0427-3 doi:10.1007/s00285-011-0427-3
spellingShingle Continuum limit
Multiscale analysis
Pattern formation
Juxtacrine cell signalling
O'Dea, Reuben D.
King, John R.
Continuum limits of pattern formation in hexagonal-cell monolayers
title Continuum limits of pattern formation in hexagonal-cell monolayers
title_full Continuum limits of pattern formation in hexagonal-cell monolayers
title_fullStr Continuum limits of pattern formation in hexagonal-cell monolayers
title_full_unstemmed Continuum limits of pattern formation in hexagonal-cell monolayers
title_short Continuum limits of pattern formation in hexagonal-cell monolayers
title_sort continuum limits of pattern formation in hexagonal-cell monolayers
topic Continuum limit
Multiscale analysis
Pattern formation
Juxtacrine cell signalling
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29034/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29034/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29034/