title: Robust formation of morphogen gradients.
abstract: We discuss the formation of graded morphogen profiles in a cell layer by nonlinear transport phenomena, important for patterning developing organisms. We focus on a process termed transcytosis, where morphogen transport results from the binding of ligands to receptors on the cell surface, incorporation into the cell, and subsequent externalization. Starting from a microscopic model, we derive effective transport equations. We show that, in contrast to morphogen transport by extracellular diffusion, transcytosis leads to robust ligand profiles which are insensitive to the rate of ligand production.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Nöthnitzer Strasse 38, 01187 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bollenbach
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kruse
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pantazis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González-Gaitán
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jülicher
mesh_terms: D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002468:Cell Physiological Phenomena; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004058:Diffusion; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000502:physiology*; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015291:Transforming Growth Factors