Scientists explain uneven color of spotted animals

Researchers at the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences and colleagues have proposed a new mechanism for the dynamic self-organization of spatial structures in embryogenesis. Using mathematical modeling methods, the researchers have demonstrated that this self-organization may be due to a significant difference in the mutual penetration rates (diffusion) of morphogen proteins, which occurs due to differently binding biologically active substances (morphogens) in the extracellular matrix. The results of this research, which were published in PLOS ONE, create the preconditions for new models describing the variety of forms in the early stages of organism development.