Honda H, Yamanaka H, Eguchi G
Kanebo Institute for Cancer Research, Osaka, Japan.
J Embryol Exp Morphol. 1986 Nov;98:1-19.
A peculiar cellular pattern resembling a checkerboard has been observed on the luminal surface of the oviduct epithelium of an adult Japanese quail. The epithelium is a monolayer cell sheet and consists of two types of columnar cells, ciliated cells (C-cells) and gland cells (G-cells) assembled in alternating blocks. The pattern develops, during sexual maturation, from a kagome-like pattern (in which large C-cells are surrounded by small G-cells) characteristic of the immature oviduct. In the present paper, computer simulations of the pattern transformation from kagome to checkerboard were performed assuming a few properties of individual cells. The adult checkerboard-like pattern is not strictly rectangular, but is deformed toward a honeycomb pattern. In theoretical considerations the assumption that adhesion is stronger between unlike cells than between like cells formed an ideal checkerboard pattern, because all cell boundaries in it are edges along which unlike cells meet. On the other hand, a honeycomb pattern formed after assuming that the boundary length of the cellular pattern is minimized (caused by contraction of bundles of microfilaments running along lateral boundaries of the columnar epithelial cell while keeping contact between neighbouring cells). The actual checkerboard-like pattern was considered to be in a balanced state between the effects of (1) the strong adhesion between unlike cells, and (2) the boundary contraction. Using a computational analysis, this consideration enabled us to obtain a quantitative parameter value for the difference between cell adhesions of unlike cells and of like cells. C-cells divided once during the kagome-checkerboard transformation, while G-cells did not divide. We performed computer simulations starting with the kagome pattern in which all C-cells divided once. The computer program of the boundary shortening procedure we used involved the quantitative parameter value for differential cell adhesion obtained as described above. A checkerboard pattern was successfully generated in the simulation. It is concluded that the strong adhesion between unlike cells and the boundary shortening have important roles in formation and maintenance of the kagome and checkerboard patterns of the avian oviduct epithelium.
在成年日本鹌鹑输卵管上皮的管腔表面观察到一种类似棋盘的奇特细胞模式。上皮是单层细胞片，由两种类型的柱状细胞组成，即纤毛细胞（C细胞）和腺细胞（G细胞），它们交替排列成块。这种模式在性成熟过程中从不成熟输卵管特有的类似戈薇图案（大的C细胞被小的G细胞包围）发展而来。在本文中，假设单个细胞的一些特性，对从戈薇图案到棋盘图案的转变进行了计算机模拟。成年的棋盘状图案并非严格的矩形，而是向蜂窝状图案变形。在理论考量中，假设不同类型细胞之间的黏附力比同类细胞之间更强，会形成理想的棋盘图案，因为其中所有细胞边界都是不同类型细胞相遇的边缘。另一方面，假设细胞图案的边界长度最小化（由沿着柱状上皮细胞横向边界运行的微丝束收缩引起，同时保持相邻细胞之间的接触）后会形成蜂窝状图案。实际的棋盘状图案被认为处于（1）不同类型细胞之间的强黏附力和（2）边界收缩这两种效应的平衡状态。通过计算分析，这种考量使我们能够获得不同类型细胞和同类细胞之间黏附差异的定量参数值。在戈薇 - 棋盘转变过程中，C细胞分裂了一次，而G细胞没有分裂。我们从所有C细胞都分裂一次的戈薇图案开始进行计算机模拟。我们使用的边界缩短程序的计算机程序涉及上述获得的细胞黏附差异定量参数值。在模拟中成功生成了棋盘图案。得出的结论是，不同类型细胞之间的强黏附力和边界缩短在鸟类输卵管上皮的戈薇图案和棋盘图案的形成与维持中起重要作用。
