Pattern Selection by Gene Expression inDictyostelium Discoideum

Cells of Dictyostelium discoideum show patterns of cyclic adenosine $3^{\prime }{,5\mathrm{}}^{\prime }$-monophosphate (cAMP) waves during the aggregation process. The details of the temporal evolution of the pattern depend on the initial cell density as well as the specific strain. Here, we simulate this process by generalizing the Martiel-Goldbeter biochemical kinetics to include the coupling of the cAMP signaling to the expression levels of aggregation-stage genes. This model naturally explains the formation of spiral waves at high cell density as well as the surprising results of recent wave-resetting experiments.