Emergence of rules in cell society: Differentiation, hierarchy, and stability

A dynamic model for cell differentiation, where cells with internal chemical reaction dynamics interact with each other and replicate was studied. It led to spontaneous differentiation of cells and determination, as discussed In the isologous diversification. The following features of the differentiation were obtained: (1)hierarchical differentiation from a 'stem' cell to other cell types, with the emergence of the interaction-dependent rules for differentiation;; (2) global stability of an ensemble of cells consisting of several cell types, that were sustained by the emergent, autonomous control on the rate of differentiation; (3) existence of several cell colonies with different cell-type distributions. The results provide a novel viewpoint on the origin of a complex cell society, while relevance to some biological problems, especially to the hemopoietic system, is also discussed. (C) 1998 Society for Mathematical Biology.