A quantitative modelling approach to zebrafish pigment pattern formation.

ABSTRACT: Pattern formation is a key aspect of development. Adult zebrafish exhibit a striking striped pattern generated through the self-organisation of three different chromatophores. Numerous investigations have revealed a multitude of individual cell-cell interactions important for this self-organisation, but it has remained unclear whether these known biological rules were sufficient to explain pattern formation. To test this, we present an individual-based mathematical model incorporating all the important cell-types and known interactions. The model qualitatively and quantitatively reproduces wild type and mutant pigment pattern development. We use it to resolve a number of outstanding biological uncertainties, including the roles of domain growth and the initial iridophore stripe, and to gen

SUBMITTER: Owen JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7384860 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature