Understanding the Melanocyte Distribution in Human Epidermis: An Agent-Based Computational Model Approach

PLoS One

Josef Thingnes¹  Eivind Hovig²  Timothy J. Lavelle²  Stig W. Omholt³ 

[1] Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE), Department of Mathematical Sciences and Technology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway;Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway;Institute of Informatics, The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

关键词: Melanocytes;    Keratinocytes;    Cell cycle and cell division;    Epidermis;    Agent-based modeling;    Melanin;    Cell migration;    Chemotaxis;   

DOI  :  10.1371/journal.pone.0040377

学科分类：医学（综合）

来源: Public Library of Science

【 摘 要 】

The strikingly even color of human skin is maintained by the uniform distribution of melanocytes among keratinocytes in the basal layer of the human epidermis. In this work, we investigated three possible hypotheses on the mechanism by which the melanocytes and keratinocytes organize themselves to generate this pattern. We let the melanocyte migration be aided by (1) negative chemotaxis due to a substance produced by the melanocytes themselves, or (2) positive chemotaxis due to a substance produced by keratinocytes lacking direct physical contact with a melanocyte, or (3) positive chemotaxis due to a substance produced by keratinocytes in a distance-to-melanocytes dependent manner. The three hypotheses were implemented in an agent-based computational model of cellular interactions in the basal layer of the human epidermis. We found that they generate mutually exclusive predictions that can be tested by existing experimental protocols. This model forms a basis for further understanding of the communication between melanocytes and other skin cells in skin homeostasis.

【 授权许可】

CC BY