How Cells Divide Labor Using Communication and Spatial Cues - 2023

Explore how cells divide labor using communication and spatial cues in this 33-minute Medical and Population Genetics Primer lecture from the Broad Institute. Delve into the mechanisms of tissue division of labor regulated by superimposed signals and cell-cell interactions. Examine the specialization of intestinal enterocytes affected by oxygen gradients along the intestinal villus. Investigate optimal task allocation models for cells using cell-cell interactions to regulate performance. Analyze how these interactions lead to diverse patterns in gene expression and tissue space. Study the fibroblast population to test theoretical predictions, exploring potential cross-talk between colon fibroblast archetypes. Learn how fibroblasts potentially use lateral inhibition to divide labor and how archetype crosstalk networks can be used to dissect communication-driven tissue organization in the absence of spatial information.

Intro
Tissue division of labor can be regulated by superimposed signals and cell-cell interactions
Intestinal enterocytes, which are mainly affected by an oxygen gradient along the intestinal villus, show a continuum of specialization
What would be the optimal task allocation for cells that use cell-cell interactions to regulate their performance?
We model the collective performance of the cells considering that cells' performance is affected by the performance of their neighbor cells
Cell-cell interactions can lead to diverse patterns in gene expression and tissue space
We consider the fibroblasts population in order to test our theoretical predictions
There is potential cross-talk between every pair of colon fibroblasts archetypes
Fibroblasts potentially use lateral inhibition to divide labor
In the absence of spatial information, archetype crosstalk networks can be used to dissect communication-driven tissue organization