Receptor-based models with hysteresis for pattern formation in hydra

In this paper, we propose a new receptor-based model for pattern formation and regulation in a fresh-water polyp, namely hydra. The model is defined in the form of a system of reaction–diffusion equations with zero-flux boundary conditions coupled with a system of ordinary differential equations. The production of diffusible biochemical molecules has a hysteretic dependence on the density of these molecules and is modeled by additional ordinary differential equations. We study the hysteresis-driven mechanism of pattern formation and we demonstrate the advantages and constraints of its ability to explain different aspects of pattern formation and regulation in hydra. The properties of the model demonstrate a range of stationary and oscillatory spatially heterogeneous patterns, arising from multiple spatially homogeneous steady states and switches in the production rates.