Stem-cell differentiation underpins reproducible morphogenesis (2503.19375v1)

Abstract: Morphogenesis of complex body shapes is reproducible despite the noise inherent in the underlying morphogenetic processes. However, how these morphogenetic processes work together to achieve this reproducibility remains unclear. Here, we ask how morphogenetic reproducibility is realised by developing a computational model that evolves complex morphologies. We find that evolved, complex morphologies are reproducible in a sizeable fraction of simulations, despite no direct selection for reproducibility. Strikingly, reproducible morphologies had also evolved stem-cell systems. We show that reproducibility is caused by a morphogenetic division of labour based on these stem-cell systems, where moving, dividing stem cells ``shape'' morphologies and irreversibly differentiate into stationary, non-dividing cells. These results suggest that stem-cell systems observed in natural development play fundamental roles in morphogenesis in addition to their known role of producing specialised cell types. This previously-unrecognised role of stem-cell systems has major implications for our understanding of how morphologies are generated and regenerated.