The limits of scaling in aggregation-driven patterning of cell collectives

Robust development requires maintaining correct proportions as overall size varies. What controls and limits this scaling remains poorly understood due to the complex interplay of mechanical and biochemical embryonic factors. Combining confinement of dissociated embryonic presomitic mesoderm cells with imaging and chemical perturbations, we identified cell aggregation as the initial event in de novo posterior pole formation. Using a continuum model based solely on cell-cell attraction, we quantitatively map how the time available for aggregation-driven patterning limits the maximum scalable system size. Small systems allow rapid, robust pattern scaling, whereas coarsening dynamics substantially delay scaled patterns in large systems. Our experiments quantitatively confirm these predicted scaling regimes. Together, our results reveal a developmental time-size tradeoff governing the scaling of aggregation-driven patterns.

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Publication Details

Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2026-11-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2617301123
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.72

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article

The limits of scaling in aggregation-driven patterning of cell collectives

Jan Rombouts, Anna Erzberger, Anniek Stokkermans, Alexander Aulehla et al.
1 citations
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
1.72
article

The limits of scaling in aggregation-driven patterning of cell collectives

Jan Rombouts, Anna Erzberger, Anniek Stokkermans, Alexander Aulehla, Michael L. Zhao
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Robust development requires maintaining correct proportions as overall size varies. What controls and limits this scaling remains poorly understood due to the complex interplay of mechanical and biochemical embryonic factors. Combining confinement of dissociated embryonic presomitic mesoderm cells with imaging and chemical perturbations, we identified cell aggregation as the initial event in de novo posterior pole formation. Using a continuum model based solely on cell-cell attraction, we quantitatively map how the time available for aggregation-driven patterning limits the maximum scalable system size. Small systems allow rapid, robust pattern scaling, whereas coarsening dynamics substantially delay scaled patterns in large systems. Our experiments quantitatively confirm these predicted scaling regimes. Together, our results reveal a developmental time-size tradeoff governing the scaling of aggregation-driven patterns.

Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesVol. 123(45)
Université Libre de Bruxelles (BE), European Molecular Biology Laboratory (ES), European Molecular Biology Laboratory (FR), European Molecular Biology Laboratory (IT), Hubrecht Institute for Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research (NL), European Molecular Biology Laboratory (DE), European Molecular Biology Laboratory (DE)
European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique - FNRS, European Research Council, H2020 European Research Council, HORIZON EUROPE Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Openalex Percentile: Top 18%
Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
1.72
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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The limits of scaling in aggregation-driven patterning of cell collectives — Jan Rombouts, Anna Erzberger, et al. · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS