Control of protein-based pattern formation via guiding cues

Abstract

Proteins control many vital functions in living cells, such as cell growth and cell division. Reliable coordination of these functions requires the spatial and temporal organization of proteins inside cells, which encodes information about the cell’s geometry and the cell-cycle stage. The study of such protein patterns has long focused around formation in uniform environments. However, in recent years, it has become evident that spatial heterogeneities are essential for protein patterning, and various guiding cues in the cell or at the cell boundary can be exploited to reliably control protein pattern formation. We review how protein patterns are guided by cell size and shape, by other protein patterns that act as templates, and by the mechanical properties of the cell. The basic mechanisms of guided pattern formation are elucidated with reference to observations in various biological model organisms. We posit that understanding the controlled formation of protein patterns in cells will be an essential part of understanding information processing in living systems. Living cells use geometric, biochemical and mechanical guiding cues to control intracellular protein patterns that regulate many vital functions. This Review discusses mechanisms of pattern guidance unveiled in living cells and how to study them from a physics perspective.