Fig 2. Generation of 2-dimensional epithelial sheets and intercellular communication modes.

A: Examples of the 2D configurations of cells we generated with increasing cell numbers (from left to right) and decreasing mean polygon number (from top to bottom). The value of the mean polygon number is reported in the bottom left of each configuration. B: Scheme of the communication models studied in the present work: the Nearest Neighbour Exchange (NNE) model (left panel), where a global reporter (blue circle) is exchanged between nearest neighbour cells via, e.g., gap junctions; and an Intercellular Space Diffusion (ISD) model, in which the global reporter is secreted by cells and diffuses in the lateral intercellular space, thus allowing communication between non-nearest neighbours.