Periodic spatial patterning with a single morphogen

Wang, Sheng-Yue; García Ojalvo, Jordi; Elowitz, Michael B.

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cels.2022.11.001

Periodic spatial patterning with a single morphogen

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Wang S, Garcia-Ojalvo J, Elowitz MB. Periodic spatial patterning with a single morphogen. Cell Syst. 2022 Dec 21;13(12):1033-47.e7. DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2022.11.001

Abstract

During multicellular development, periodic spatial patterning systems generate repetitive structures, such as digits, vertebrae, and teeth. Turing patterning provides a foundational paradigm for understanding such systems. The simplest Turing systems are believed to require at least two morphogens to generate periodic patterns. Here, using mathematical modeling, we show that a simpler circuit, including only a single diffusible morphogen, is sufficient to generate long-range, spatially periodic patterns that propagate outward from transient initiating perturbations and remain stable after the perturbation is removed. Furthermore, an additional bistable intracellular feedback or operation on a growing cell lattice can make patterning robust to noise. Together, these results show that a single morphogen can be sufficient for robust spatial pattern formation and should provide a foundation for engineering pattern formation in the emerging field of synthetic developmental biology.