title: DIATOM COLONY FORMATION: A COMPUTATIONAL STUDY PREDICTS A SINGLE MECHANISM CAN PRODUCE BOTH LINKAGE AND SEPARATION VALVES DUE TO AN ENVIRONMENTAL SWITCH(1).
abstract: The morphological plasticity and adaptive behavior exhibited during diatom colony formation in Aulacoseira is explored through computer simulation to study how the interplay of mechanisms such as cytoskeletal-driven membrane protrusions, silica deposition, and environmental factors may contribute to the generation of two distinct spine morphologies on linkage and separation valves. A multiscale agent-based computational model was developed, which showed that a single cytoskeleton-driven, competitive growth mechanism could generate either of the two characteristic phenotypes, given only a single switch in the environment (as might be experienced by a change in light regime). Hypotheses are formulated from the model, and predictions made for potential follow-up experiments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UKThe Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK.
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bentley
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UKThe Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Clack
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UKThe Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK.
authors.forename: Eileen J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Cox
keywords: colony formation; computer simulation; cytoskeleton; diatom; environmental switch; linkage valves; morphogenesis; separation valves