Optic tectum morphogenesis: A step-by-step model based on the temporal-spatial organization of the cell proliferation. Significance of deterministic and stochastic components subsumed in the spatial organization.

RAPACIOLI, MELINA; DUARTE, SANTIAGO; RODRIGUEZ CELIN, ALEJANDRA; FIORE, LUCIANO; TERUEL, LUISA R; SCICOLONE, GABRIEL; SANCHEZ, VIVIANA; FLORES, VLADIMIR

Huerta Grande, Córdoba

Congreso; XXVI Congreso Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencia.; 2011

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencia.

The present work is a computer-assisted analysis of the morphogenetic role of cell proliferation in the developing chick optic tectum (OT). Records of mitotic cells spatial co-ordinates are analyzed as stochastic point process by means of standardized methods of signal analyses. Signals derived from mitotic cells records subsume a) a deterministic component indicative of a long-range influence that install asymmetric distribution of mitotic cells and b) a stochastic component indicative of short-range anti-correlations between neighboring cells. The existence of zones of high mitotic density (ZHMD) with typical positions results in a typical pattern of differential planar expansion. A simple model explaining how the spatial and temporal organization of the neuroepithelial cells proliferation contributes to the optic tectum morphogenesis is presented: 1. A medial ZHMD (mZHMD) appears at the caudal zone. 2. The mZHMD expands cephalically forming the dorsal curvature and then duplicates into two bilateral ZHMDs (bZHMD). 3. The bZHMDs move towards the central region of each hemitectum. 4. The planar expansion of both bZHMD and the slow growth of dorsal midline produce a medial groove. 5. A relative caudal displacement of the bZHMDs produces a caudal curvature, the OT caudal pole.