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A dot-stripe Turing model of joint patterning in the tetrapod limb
Jake Cornwall Scoones1, Tom W Hiscock2,3
1Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.
Development (Cambridge, England)
|March 5, 2020
Summary
A new dot-stripe mechanism explains tetrapod limb joint patterning. This model clarifies normal joint formation, hyperphalangy, and polydactyly, offering a unifying framework for limb development research.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Mathematical Biology
Background:
- Iterative joints define the tetrapod limb, crucial for development.
- Molecular control of joint formation is known, but joint patterning (location, number, orientation) remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and validate a novel mechanism for joint patterning in tetrapod limbs.
- To provide a unifying framework for understanding joint pattern diversity.
Main Methods:
- Development of a computational model based on two coupled Turing systems.
- Inspiration from published gene expression patterns in limb development.
- Application of the model to explain various limb morphologies.
Main Results:
- The dot-stripe model successfully explains normal joint morphology in wild-type limbs.
- The model accounts for hyperphalangy in cetacean flippers and misoriented joints in mutants.
- It offers a new interpretation of Ichthyosaur fins as a polygonal joint lattice.
Conclusions:
- The generic dot-stripe model provides a unifying framework for joint patterning.
- Insights are applicable across different biological specifics of joint formation.
- The model facilitates further investigation into tetrapod limb joint patterns.
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