Evolution of phenotypic plasticity leads to tumor heterogeneity with implications for therapy
Fig 1
Hierarchical representation of cell decision-making.
(A) The cell’s genotype dictates the regulation of the phenotypic switch. This switch determines the cell’s reaction to its microenvironment. Subsequently, the cell interacts and shapes its microenvironment according to its phenotype. (B) In the mathematical model and the context of the go-or-grow dichotomy, the genotype is represented by the parameter κ which controls the phenotypic switch between the migratory and proliferating phenotypes dependent on the local cell density. After assuming either phenotype the cell influences the local microenvironment by either reducing the cell density (by migration) or increasing it (by proliferation). We neglect possible epigenetic changes by a persistent microenvironment on long time scales.