Voltage as a morphogen? Reaction-diffusion patterning in electrically coupled tissues
Embryonic development is a remarkable example of self-organized pattern formation. In the embryo, feedbacks in signaling interactions between cells break symmetry to generate the patterns of gene expression and tissue morphologies required to build a multicellular animal. Although studies of developmental signaling have focused overwhelmingly on biochemical signaling pathways, cells can also communicate information via physical interactions.
It has also been proposed that electrical signals could mediate aspects of embryonic development and pattern formation. However, a clear mechanistic basis for this hypothesis has yet to be established. We will present and discuss the proposal that (1) electrical reaction-diffusion instabilities mediate developmental patterning, and (2) that changes in the transmembrane voltage could directly regulate signaling activity in canonical morphogen pathways.
Host: XJ Xu
This colloquium is sponsored by Dean’s fund for Colloquia and Symposia
