Dislocation is a developmental mechanism in Dictyostelium and vertebrates

Area of Science:

• Cellular and developmental biology
• Biophysics of excitable media
• Pattern formation in biological systems

Background:

• Dictyostelium discoideum cells display traveling waves during morphogenesis.
• Complex wave forms, including 3D spiral/scroll waves, are observed.
• A twisted variant, the "turbine wave," has been previously proposed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and describe the phenomenon of "dislocation" in Dictyostelium discoideum wave propagation.
• To explain how wave fields split into two distinct domains.
• To elucidate the resulting morphogenetic events and underlying mechanisms.

Main Methods:

• Observation and analysis of wave propagation patterns in Dictyostelium discoideum.
• Modeling of wave field dynamics and cell type segregation.
• Characterization of phenomena associated with wave dislocation.

Main Results:

• A novel process termed "dislocation" is identified, where a wave field splits into two.
• This splitting creates discontinuity between connected wave propagation domains.
• Specific phenomena, such as high-frequency concentric pacemaker activity, are observed at the scroll-wave tip.

Conclusions:

• Dislocation represents a unique mechanism in Dictyostelium discoideum morphogenesis.
• The splitting of wave fields leads to novel developmental outcomes.
• This study expands our understanding of pattern formation in biological excitable media.