Synthetic reaction-diffusion patterning in mammalian cells
During development, periodic patterns arise through reaction-diffusion (RD) circuits involving local activation and long-range inhibition (LALI). Natural systems are complex, typically entangling regulation and transport in the same morphogens. It remains unclear what minimal circuits are sufficient for LALI patterning in mammalian cells, and whether they can be implemented in a modular fashion,…
Development of periodic patterns in mammalian cells occurs through reaction-diffusion (RD) circuits that involve local activation and long-range inhibition (LALI). Natural systems combine regulation and transport processes within the same morphogens, but it is still uncertain what minimal circuits are needed for LALI patterning in mammalian cells and if they can be implemented in a modular way, enabling independent control of regulation and transport.
In this study, synthetic LALI circuits were designed using three natural and synthetic signaling systems, BMP, Activin, and the SNIPR pathway. These circuits generated spatial patterns with distinct characteristic spatial scales. Researchers found that model-guided design enabled morphogen reassignment, with BMP4 functioning as either a short-range activator or long-range inhibitor.
Gene expression noise diminished long-range order but maintained the dominant local spatial scale. Overall, these findings present a modular and adaptable synthetic framework for engineered patterning in mammalian cells.
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