Contact-mediated signaling enables disorder-driven transitions in cellular assemblies

Abstract

We show that when cells communicate by contact-mediated interactions, heterogeneity in cell shapes and sizes leads to qualitatively distinct collective behavior in the tissue. For inter-cellular coupling that implements lateral inhibition, such disorder-driven transitions can substantially alter the asymptotic pattern of differentiated cells by modulating their fate choice through changes in the neighborhood geometry. In addition, when contact-induced signals influence inherent cellular oscillations, disorder leads to the emergence of functionally relevant partially-ordered dynamical states.

6 pages, 3 figures + 5 pages Supplementary Information

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