Periodic spatial patterning with a single morphogen

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.

This research was supported by the Allen Discovery Center program under award no. UWSC10142, a Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group advised program of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. J.G.-O. was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and FEDER, under project PGC2018-101251-B-I00, by the “Maria de Maeztu” Programme for Units of Excellence in R&D (grant CEX2018-000792-M), and by the Generalitat de Catalunya. We acknowledge insightful feedback from Elowitz lab members.