2010
Volume 10, Number 1, p.p. 33–38
Multilayer cell proliferation with an adaptation of a cellular Potts model
Sébastien Tripodi,* Pascal Ballet and Vincent Rodin
European University of Brittany - UEB UBO, EA 3883-LISyC (in virtuo), 20 av. Le Gorgeu, CS 93837, 29238 Brest Cedex 3, France
The cellular Potts model (CPM) is a cellular automaton (CA) for modelling morphogenesis. It characterizes a cell by a volume, a surface and a type. We have extended this model to add the notion of energetic exchange between cells via the secretion and consumption of molecules. These molecules are transformed into energy, allowing the cells to maintain themselves and to divide. To test our adaptation of the CPM we improve the realism of known simulations dealing with embryogenesis. Thanks to the CPM the shape of the cell is more complex than a simple pixel. Our simulation shows multilayer proliferation, similar to the bilayer proliferation described in the literature. In addition it reveals dynamic tissue regeneration, morphogenesis of disjunctive tissues and the dynamic stability of global shape.