Effects of intrinsic and extrinsic noise can accelerate juxtacrine pattern formation

Bull Math Biol. 2008 May;70(4):971-91. doi: 10.1007/s11538-007-9286-x. Epub 2008 Mar 13.

Abstract

Epithelial pattern formation is an important phenomenon that, for example, has roles in embryogenesis, development and wound-healing. The ligand Epithelial Growth Factor (EGF) and its receptor EGF-R, constitute a system that forms lateral induction patterns by juxtacrine signalling-binding of membrane-bound ligands to receptors on neighbouring cells. Owen et al. developed a generic ordinary differential equation model of juxtacrine lateral induction that exhibits stable patterning under some conditions. The model predicts relatively slow pattern formation. We examine here the effects of both intrinsic and extrinsic cellular noise arising from the stochastic treatment of this model, and show that this noise could have an accelerating effect on the patterning process.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Body Patterning / physiology*
  • Cell Communication / physiology*
  • Epidermal Growth Factor / physiology
  • ErbB Receptors / physiology
  • Humans
  • Mathematics
  • Models, Biological*
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Stochastic Processes

Substances

  • Epidermal Growth Factor
  • ErbB Receptors