Detection and characterization of spatial pattern in chimaeric tissue

The mosaic pattern of patches of crypts of Lieberkühn in chimaeric C57BL/6JLac (B6)----DDK mouse small intestine, demonstrated using Dolichos biflorus agglutinin as strain-specific marker, is quantitatively examined using the Greig-Smith analysis of variance. This analysis, widely used in ecological research, provides a method to detect and characterize pattern at various scales. The analysis demonstrates that B6 patches are non-randomly distributed at all scales examined. A consistent increase in the intensity of pattern at one particular scale over all replicate samples identifies 'clusters of clusters' which probably are territories of 'descendent' clones. The sizes of descendent clones, either in terms of numbers of patches or total numbers of crypts, are highly variable. A steady reduction in the strength of pattern from proximal to distal is found. The Greig-Smith analysis of variance provides a valuable method for the analysis of pattern in chimaeric tissue.