Gap Junctions in Turing-Type Periodic Feather Pattern Formation

    April 2023 in “ bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) ”
    Chun-Chih Tseng, Thomas E. Woolley, Ting‐Xin Jiang, Ping Wu, Philip K. Maini, Randall B. Widelitz, Cheng‐Ming Chuong
    TLDR Gap junctions help control feather pattern formation by enabling cell communication.
    The study investigates the role of gap junctions (GJs) in Turing-type periodic feather pattern formation, using chicken skin as a model. It identifies that seven out of twelve GJ isoforms are dynamically expressed during feather development. Functional perturbations of the GJ isoform, connexin 30, disrupt primary feather bud formation, leading to irregular patterns. Inhibition of GJ communication in skin explant cultures results in new feather buds forming in waves, suggesting GJs facilitate long-distance inhibitory signal propagation. The study proposes that modulating intercellular communication can influence pattern formation, supported by Turing-based computational simulations.
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