Fig. 2.
A lattice-based model of self-organization predicts robustness to perturbations affecting cell–cell cohesion in the presence of an adhesive tissue boundary. (A) Two configurations of LEP (green), MEP (red), and ECM (black) with different stabilities. Numbers on edges represent the strength (relative to LEP–LEP) of specific interactions. Larger numbers represent more favorable interactions. (B) Output of Monte-Carlo simulations using the indicated values for WMEP-ECM for tissue self-organization on a square lattice with stationary ECM. (C) Phase diagrams for tissue self-organization in the presence (Top) and absence (Bottom) of MEP–ECM interactions. Each sphere represents a single run of the model. Color represents the given tissue architecture (small icons). (D) Cross-sections through the phase diagrams in C reveal the combinations of parameters representative of fourth-passage human primary mammary epithelial cells in the presence of ECM (i). Positions ii–iv represent predicted tissue phases upon specific perturbations described in the text.