Information about a form (on the dynamic laws of morphogenesis).
How a developing embryo becomes "informed" about its form?" This problem remains obscure and controversial. We argue that the "information about a form" is distributed throughout three main components: the dynamic laws, the parameters and the initial/boundary conditions. In the absence of a dynamic law two other components are "blind", that is, do not contain any unambiguous information. We present a version of a dynamic law of morphogenesis, based upon the presumption of a feedback between passive and active mechanical stresses. We explore several models of shape formation based upon this law and show that, as depending upon the parameters values, they generate a large set of realistic shapes. Genetic and epigenetic basis of the models parameters is discussed.
Beloussov
Lev V
LV
Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow 119899, Russia. lbelous@soil.msu.ru
Grabovsky
Vassily I
VI
D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005246:Feedback; D037402:Hydrozoa / Q000254:growth & development; D008954:Models, Biological; D009024:Morphogenesis; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D049490:Systems Biology