Fig. 3: Tissue compartment boundaries defined by gene expression are characterized by a high interfacial tension pattern, which is sufficient to explain their maintenance.

a, Spatial maps of the dominant cell types as defined by gene expression analysis for datasets 1 (left), 2 (middle) and 3 (right). b, Spatial maps of the boundary likelihood highlighting cells at the boundary between spatially distinct tissue compartments for datasets 1 (left), 2 (middle) and 3 (right). c, Violin plots for inferred heterotypic tension (cell–cell tensions for junctions at the boundary between spatially distinct tissue compartments) and homotypic tension (cell–cell tensions for junctions within each tissue compartment) for datasets 1 (left), 2 (middle) and 3 (right). Error bars indicate s.e.m. ^*P < 0.05 and ^**P < 0.01 by one-sided pairwise Mann–Whitney U test. Exact P values and test statistics can be found in Supplementary Table 1. d, Boundary maintenance simulations based on experimentally measured heterotypic and homotypic tensions for datasets 1 (left), 2 (middle) and 3 (right). Renderings of typical boundary maintenance simulations (top) and of typical control simulations where the homotypic tensions are equal to the heterotypic tensions (bottom).