Cell division dynamics generate heterogeneous contact-mediated signaling outputs

Contact mediated cell-cell communication where direct physical contact between adjacent ligand cells and receptor cells trigger signal output is important during growth, development and regeneration of organisms. While the molecular machinery underlying contact mediated cell signaling is well explored, how the local spatial context of cells affect cell-cell contact mediated gene expression is not clear. Here, we present a vertex-based computational model to study spatial and temporal behavior of contact mediated signal output (which we refer to as output) in growing cell collectives. We consider cell-cell contact length dependent output synthesis and output degradation in receptor cells together with cell division to understand how dynamics at the scale of single cells lead to heterogeneous signal output. By tracking single receptor cells over time in growing cell collectives in silico, we show that cell growth and division lead to continuous and dynamic rearrangement of cell-cell contact between receptor and ligand cells which in turn affect the output levels. Our model predicts that the orientation of cell division plays a key role in the heterogeneity of signal output. We elucidate the link between cell mechanical properties that control cell shape, growth, and division, with signal output in receptor cells during contact mediated signaling processes.