Simulation of vessel morphogenesis using cellular automata.

We present a cellular automaton model, including lateral inhibition of an autocatalytic morphogen, as well as a genetic switch that differentiates tissue into substrate-depleting vessels. This model yields isotropic morphogenesis, including: dichotomous and lateral branching, blind vessel ends, and closed loops due to anastosmosis. The algorithm consists of a list of simple rules describing the essential biophysical features, permitting comfortable programming and fast computations. Depending on the choice of the substrate s, the model is applicable to leaf veins (s is auxin), insect trachea (s is CO2) or neovascularization (s is an angiogenesis factor). Sequential addition of rules can be correlated to evolutionary steps in leaf morphogenesis.