1
|
Carrillo JA, Murakawa H, Sato M, Wang M. A new paradigm considering multicellular adhesion, repulsion and attraction represent diverse cellular tile patterns. PLoS Comput Biol 2025; 21:e1011909. [PMID: 40258228 PMCID: PMC12061426 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2025] [Accepted: 03/25/2025] [Indexed: 04/23/2025] Open
Abstract
Cell sorting by differential adhesion is one of the basic mechanisms explaining spatial organization of neurons in early stage brain development of fruit flies. The columnar arrangements of neurons determine the large-scale patterns in the fly visual center. Experimental studies indicate that hexagonal configurations regularly appear in the fly compound eye, which is connected to the visual center by photoreceptor axons, while tetragonal configurations can be induced in mutants. We need a mathematical framework to study the mechanisms of such a transition between hexagonal and tetragonal arrangements. Here, we propose a new mathematical model based on macroscopic approximations of agent-based models that produces a similar behavior changing from hexagonal to tetragonal steady configurations when medium-range repulsion and longer-range attraction between individuals are incorporated in previous successful models for cell sorting based on adhesion and volume constraints. We analyze the angular configurations of these patterns based on angle summary statistics and compare between experimental data and parameter fitted ARA (Adhesion-Repulsion-Attraction) models showing that intermediate patterns between hexagonal and tetragonal configuration are common in experimental data as well as in our ARA mathematical model. Our studies indicate an overall qualitative agreement of ARA models in tile patterning and pave the way for their quantitative studies. Our study opens up a new avenue to explore tile pattern transitions, found not only in the column arrangement in the brain, but also in the other related biological processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José A. Carrillo
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Hideki Murakawa
- Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Ryukoku University, Otsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Makoto Sato
- Mathematical Neuroscience Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Miaoxing Wang
- Mathematical Neuroscience Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Martinson WD, Volkening A, Schmidtchen M, Venkataraman C, Carrillo JA. Linking discrete and continuous models of cell birth and migration. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:232002. [PMID: 39021774 PMCID: PMC11252671 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.232002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Self-organization of individuals within large collectives occurs throughout biology. Mathematical models can help elucidate the individual-level mechanisms behind these dynamics, but analytical tractability often comes at the cost of biological intuition. Discrete models provide straightforward interpretations by tracking each individual yet can be computationally expensive. Alternatively, continuous models supply a large-scale perspective by representing the 'effective' dynamics of infinite agents, but their results are often difficult to translate into experimentally relevant insights. We address this challenge by quantitatively linking spatio-temporal dynamics of continuous models and individual-based data in settings with biologically realistic, time-varying cell numbers. Specifically, we introduce and fit scaling parameters in continuous models to account for discrepancies that can arise from low cell numbers and localized interactions. We illustrate our approach on an example motivated by zebrafish-skin pattern formation, in which we create a continuous framework describing the movement and proliferation of a single cell population by upscaling rules from a discrete model. Our resulting continuous models accurately depict ensemble average agent-based solutions when migration or proliferation act alone. Interestingly, the same parameters are not optimal when both processes act simultaneously, highlighting a rich difference in how combining migration and proliferation affects discrete and continuous dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Markus Schmidtchen
- Institute of Scientific Computing, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yuan W, Deng X, Wang Z, Ma T, Yan S, Gao X, Li J, Ma X, Yin J, Hu K, Zhang W, Jiang X. Photochemical Design for Diverse Controllable Patterns in Self-Wrinkling Films. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2400849. [PMID: 38567824 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202400849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Harnessing the spontaneous surface instability of pliable substances to create intricate, well-ordered, and on-demand controlled surface patterns holds great potential for advancing applications in optical, electrical, and biological processes. However, the current limitations stem from challenges in modulating multidirectional stress fields and diverse boundary environments. Herein, this work proposes a universal strategy to achieve arbitrarily controllable wrinkle patterns via the spatiotemporal photochemical boundaries. Utilizing constraints and inductive effects of the photochemical boundaries, the multiple coupling relationship is accomplished among the light fields, stress fields, and morphology of wrinkles in photosensitive polyurethane (PSPU) film. Moreover, employing sequential light-irradiation with photomask enables the attainment of a diverse array of controllable patterns, ranging from highly ordered 2D patterns to periodic or intricate designs. The fundamental mechanics of underlying buckling and the formation of surface features are comprehensively elucidated through theoretical stimulation and finite element analysis. The results reveal the evolution laws of wrinkles under photochemical boundaries and represent a new effective toolkit for fabricating intricate and captivating patterns in single-layer films.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenqiang Yuan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, State Key Laboratory for Metal Matrix Composite Materials, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Xinlu Deng
- School of Mechanical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Systems and Vibration, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Zehong Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, State Key Laboratory for Metal Matrix Composite Materials, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Tianjiao Ma
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, State Key Laboratory for Metal Matrix Composite Materials, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Shuzhen Yan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, State Key Laboratory for Metal Matrix Composite Materials, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Xiaxin Gao
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, State Key Laboratory for Metal Matrix Composite Materials, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Jin Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, State Key Laboratory for Metal Matrix Composite Materials, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Xiaodong Ma
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, State Key Laboratory for Metal Matrix Composite Materials, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Jie Yin
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, State Key Laboratory for Metal Matrix Composite Materials, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Kaiming Hu
- School of Mechanical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Systems and Vibration, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Wenming Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Systems and Vibration, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Xuesong Jiang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, State Key Laboratory for Metal Matrix Composite Materials, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Weller HI, Hiller AE, Lord NP, Van Belleghem SM. recolorize: An R package for flexible colour segmentation of biological images. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14378. [PMID: 38361466 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Colour pattern variation provides biological information in fields ranging from disease ecology to speciation dynamics. Comparing colour pattern geometries across images requires colour segmentation, where pixels in an image are assigned to one of a set of colour classes shared by all images. Manual methods for colour segmentation are slow and subjective, while automated methods can struggle with high technical variation in aggregate image sets. We present recolorize, an R package toolbox for human-subjective colour segmentation with functions for batch-processing low-variation image sets and additional tools for handling images from diverse (high-variation) sources. The package also includes export options for a variety of formats and colour analysis packages. This paper illustrates recolorize for three example datasets, including high variation, batch processing and combining with reflectance spectra, and demonstrates the downstream use of methods that rely on this output.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah I Weller
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna E Hiller
- Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Nathan P Lord
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Abstract
Vertebrates exhibit a wide range of color patterns, which play critical roles in mediating intra- and interspecific communication. Because of their diversity and visual accessibility, color patterns offer a unique and fascinating window into the processes underlying biological organization. In this review, we focus on describing many of the general principles governing the formation and evolution of color patterns in different vertebrate groups. We characterize the types of patterns, review the molecular and developmental mechanisms by which they originate, and discuss their role in constraining or facilitating evolutionary change. Lastly, we outline outstanding questions in the field and discuss different approaches that can be used to address them. Overall, we provide a unifying conceptual framework among vertebrate systems that may guide research into naturally evolved mechanisms underlying color pattern formation and evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ricardo Mallarino
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Staps M, Miller PW, Tarnita CE, Mallarino R. Development shapes the evolutionary diversification of rodent stripe patterns. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2312077120. [PMID: 37871159 PMCID: PMC10636316 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312077120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate groups have evolved strikingly diverse color patterns. However, it remains unknown to what extent the diversification of such patterns has been shaped by the proximate, developmental mechanisms that regulate their formation. While these developmental mechanisms have long been inaccessible empirically, here we take advantage of recent insights into rodent pattern formation to investigate the role of development in shaping pattern diversification across rodents. Based on a broad survey of museum specimens, we first establish that various rodents have independently evolved diverse patterns consisting of longitudinal stripes, varying across species in number, color, and relative positioning. We then interrogate this diversity using a simple model that incorporates recent molecular and developmental insights into stripe formation in African striped mice. Our results suggest that, on the one hand, development has facilitated pattern diversification: The diversity of patterns seen across species can be generated by a single developmental process, and small changes in this process suffice to recapitulate observed evolutionary changes in pattern organization. On the other hand, development has constrained diversification: Constraints on stripe positioning limit the scope of evolvable patterns, and although pattern organization appears at first glance phylogenetically unconstrained, development turns out to impose a cryptic constraint. Altogether, this work reveals that pattern diversification in rodents can in part be explained by the underlying development and illustrates how pattern formation models can be leveraged to interpret pattern evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Merlijn Staps
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544
| | - Pearson W. Miller
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York, NY10010
| | - Corina E. Tarnita
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544
| | - Ricardo Mallarino
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Milinkovitch MC, Jahanbakhsh E, Zakany S. The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Reaction Diffusion in Vertebrate Skin Color Patterning. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2023; 39:145-174. [PMID: 37843926 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-120319-024414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
In 1952, Alan Turing published the reaction-diffusion (RD) mathematical framework, laying the foundations of morphogenesis as a self-organized process emerging from physicochemical first principles. Regrettably, this approach has been widely doubted in the field of developmental biology. First, we summarize Turing's line of thoughts to alleviate the misconception that RD is an artificial mathematical construct. Second, we discuss why phenomenological RD models are particularly effective for understanding skin color patterning at the meso/macroscopic scales, without the need to parameterize the profusion of variables at lower scales. More specifically, we discuss how RD models (a) recapitulate the diversity of actual skin patterns, (b) capture the underlying dynamics of cellular interactions, (c) interact with tissue size and shape, (d) can lead to ordered sequential patterning, (e) generate cellular automaton dynamics in lizards and snakes, (f) predict actual patterns beyond their statistical features, and (g) are robust to model variations. Third, we discuss the utility of linear stability analysis and perform numerical simulations to demonstrate how deterministic RD emerges from the underlying chaotic microscopic agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michel C Milinkovitch
- Laboratory of Artificial and Natural Evolution, Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland;
| | - Ebrahim Jahanbakhsh
- Laboratory of Artificial and Natural Evolution, Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland;
| | - Szabolcs Zakany
- Laboratory of Artificial and Natural Evolution, Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland;
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Kondo S, Watanabe M, Miyazawa S. Studies of Turing pattern formation in zebrafish skin. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2021; 379:20200274. [PMID: 34743596 PMCID: PMC8580470 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2020.0274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Skin patterns are the first example of the existence of Turing patterns in living organisms. Extensive research on zebrafish, a model organism with stripes on its skin, has revealed the principles of pattern formation at the molecular and cellular levels. Surprisingly, although the networks of cell-cell interactions have been observed to satisfy the 'short-range activation and long-range inhibition' prerequisites for Turing pattern formation, numerous individual reactions were not envisioned based on the classical reaction-diffusion model. For example, in real skin, it is not an alteration in concentrations of chemicals, but autonomous migration and proliferation of pigment cells that establish patterns, and cell-cell interactions are mediated via direct contact through cell protrusions. Therefore, the classical reaction-diffusion mechanism cannot be used as it is for modelling skin pattern formation. Various studies are underway to adapt mathematical models to the experimental findings on research into skin patterns, and the purpose of this review is to organize and present them. These novel theoretical methods could be applied to autonomous pattern formation phenomena other than skin patterns. This article is part of the theme issue 'Recent progress and open frontiers in Turing's theory of morphogenesis'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shigeru Kondo
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masakatsu Watanabe
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Seita Miyazawa
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
The beneficial roles of poisonous skin secretions in survival strategies of the odorous frog Odorrana andersonii. Naturwissenschaften 2021; 109:4. [PMID: 34874458 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-021-01776-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of predatory, anti-predatory, and defensive strategies regarding environmental adaptation in animals is of significant research interest. In particular, amphibians, who represent a transition between aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates, play an important role in animal evolution. The bioactive skin secretions of amphibians are of specific interest due to their involvement in the crucial physiological functions of amphibian skin. We previously isolated and identified several bioactive peptides, including those showing antioxidant, antimicrobial, and wound-healing properties, from the skin secretions of the odorous frog species Odorrana andersonii. Currently, however, the biological significance of skin secretions in O. andersonii survival remains unclear. Here, we studied the biological significance of skin glands and secretions in regard to environmental adaptations of O. andersonii. Our research found that O. andersonii may secrete and excrete bioactive secretions through many glands (peptides and proteins as the main components in glands) distributed in the skin. The skin secretions not only displayed toxicity but also showed antioxidant, antibacterial, and repair promoting activities, suggesting that they play a protective role in O. andersonii when facing environmental threats. These bioactive skin secretions appear to act as a chemical survival strategy in O. andersonii, allowing the species to gain advantages in survival behavior.
Collapse
|
10
|
Parichy DM. Evolution of pigment cells and patterns: recent insights from teleost fishes. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2021; 69:88-96. [PMID: 33743392 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2021.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Skin pigment patterns of vertebrates are stunningly diverse, and nowhere more so than in teleost fishes. Several species, including relatives of zebrafish, recently evolved cichlid fishes of East Africa, clownfishes, deep sea fishes, and others are providing insights into pigment pattern evolution. This overview describes recent advances in understanding periodic patterns, like stripes and spots, the loss of patterns, and the role of cell-type diversification in generating pigmentation phenotypes. Advances in this area are being facilitated by the application of modern methods of gene editing, genomics, computational analysis, and other approaches to non-traditional model organisms having interesting pigmentary phenotypes. Several topics worthy of future attention are outlined as well.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David M Parichy
- Department of Biology, Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, United States.
| |
Collapse
|