Modelling the emergence of whisker barrels

Brain development relies on an interplay between genetic specification and self-organization. Striking examples of this relationship can be found in the somatosensory brainstem, thalamus, and cortex of rats and mice, where the arrangement of the facial whiskers is preserved in the arrangement of cel...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inbioRxiv
Main Authors James, Sebastian S, Krubitzer, Leah A, Wilson, Stuart P
Format Paper
LanguageEnglish
Published Cold Spring Harbor Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 29.01.2020
Subjects
Brain mapping
Brain stem
Cortex (somatosensory)
Gene expression
Gene mapping
Pattern formation
Thalamus
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Brain development relies on an interplay between genetic specification and self-organization. Striking examples of this relationship can be found in the somatosensory brainstem, thalamus, and cortex of rats and mice, where the arrangement of the facial whiskers is preserved in the arrangement of cell aggregates to form precise somatotopic maps. We show in simulation how realistic whisker maps can self-organize, by assuming that information is exchanged between adjacent cells only, under the guidance of gene expression gradients. The resulting model provides a simple account of how patterns of gene expression can constrain spontaneous pattern formation to faithfully reproduce functional maps in subsequent brain structures. Footnotes * The normalization process in Eq. 4 has been modified to give it a more principled basis, although this does not affect the results of the simulations significantly. Simulation diagrams are updated accordingly. This revision adds a methods section describing mathematical techniques used to simulate the model described in Eqs. 1 to 4. * https://github.com/ABRG-Models/BarrelEmerge/tree/eLife_submission1
DOI:10.1101/2019.12.20.884106