Dresden 2020 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 10: Poster III

BP 10.30: Poster

Monday, March 16, 2020, 17:30–19:30, P2/3OG

Embryonic lateral inhibition as optical modes — •Jose Negrete Jr and Andrew C Oates — École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

Spatial gene expression patterns define regions where specialised cells emerge within an embryo. Lateral inhibition is a common mechanism that creates fine grained patterns with a characteristic wavelength of the size of 2 cells. Here we developed a generic model for patterning with lateral inhibition, and study its characteristics by making an analogy with crystal phonons from solid state physics. The tissue is redefined in terms of a Bravais lattice where the basis of the crystal contains two to three cells. The steady states are analogous to the optical modes of phonons. The model predicts that there are two different lateral inhibition states that can coexist in a certain parameter regime. Finally, our work suggests that gene expression patterns can be thought as crystal phonons, where long wavelength (Turing like) patterns corresponds to accosting modes and lateral inhibition patterns to optical modes.

Reference: Negrete Jr J and Oates AC, Phys Rev E 99, 042417 (2019)