The rule of normal neighbors: A hypothesis for morphogenetic pattern regulation☆

[摘要] Theruleofnormalneighbors,ageneralizationofthepolarcoordinatemodelofV.French,P.J.Bryant,andS.V.Bryant(1976,Science193,969–981),canpredicttopologicalfeaturesofepimorphicregenerationwithoutascribingaparticularcoordinatesystemofpositionalvaluestocells.Therulecorrectlypredictsthetypesandsymmetriesofstructureswhichregenerateaftergraftingoperationsonthedistalsegmentsofcrayfishlegs.Theruleofnormalneighborsshouldbevalidforanyregeneratingsysteminwhichshort-rangeinteractionsbetweencellsnearthesiteofwoundhealingsufficetorestorenormalstructures.Twocriteriafordefining“minimalregeneration”areproposed:(1)a“shortest-pathrule”whichgeneralizesthecorrespondingruleinthepolarcoordinatemodel;and(2)a“minimalfreeenergy”hypothesis.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）