During development, cells take on specific fates to properly build tissues and organs. These cell fates are regulated by short and long range signalling mechanisms, as well as feedback on gene expression and protein activity. Despite the high conservation of these signalling pathways, we often see different cell fate outcomes in similar tissues or related species in response to similar perturbations. How these short and long range signals work to control patterning during development, and how the same network can lead to species specific responses to perturbations, is not yet understood. Exploiting the high conservation of developmental pathways, we theoretically and experimentally explore mechanisms of cell fate patterning during development of the egg laying structure (vulva) in nematode worms. We developed differential equation models of the main signalling networks (EGF/Ras, Notch and Wnt) responsible for vulval cell fate specification, and validated them using experimental data. A complex, biologically based model identified key network components for wild type patterning, and relationships that render the network more sensitive to perturbations. Analysis of a simplified model indicated that short and long range signalling play complementary roles in developmental patterning. The rich data sets produced by these models form the basis for further analysis and increase our understanding of cell fate regulation in development.
