Two theories address the origin of repeating patterns, such as hair follicles, limb digits, and intestinal villi, during development. The Turing reaction–diffusion system posits that interacting diffusible signals produced by static cells first define a prepattern that then induces cell rearrangements to produce an anatomical structure. The second theory, that of mesenchymal self-organisation, proposes that mobile cells can form periodic patterns of cell aggregates directly, without reference to any prepattern. Early hair follicle development is characterised by the rapid appearance of periodic arrangements of altered gene expression in the epidermis and prominent clustering of the adjacent dermal mesenchymal cells. We assess the contributions and interplay between reaction–diffusion and mesenchymal self-organisation processes in hair follicle patterning, identifying a network of fibroblast growth factor (FGF), wingless-related integration site (WNT), and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling interactions capable of spontaneously producing a periodic pattern. Using time-lapse imaging, we find that mesenchymal cell condensation at hair follicles is locally directed by an epidermal prepattern. However, imposing this prepattern’s condition of high FGF and low BMP activity across the entire skin reveals a latent dermal capacity to undergo spatially patterned self-organisation in the absence of epithelial direction. This mesenchymal self-organisation relies on restricted transforming growth factor (TGF) β signalling, which serves to drive chemotactic mesenchymal patterning when reaction–diffusion patterning is suppressed, but, in normal conditions, facilitates cell movement to locally prepatterned sources of FGF. This work illustrates a hierarchy of periodic patterning modes operating in organogenesis.

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In mice, rats, dogs and humans the growth and function of sebaceous glands and eyelid Meibomian glands depend on the ectodysplasin signalling pathway. Mutation of genes encoding the ligand EDA, its transmembrane receptor EDAR, and the intracellular signal transducer EDARADD leads to Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia characterised by impaired development of teeth and hair as well as cutaneous glands. The rodent ear canal has a large auditory sebaceous gland, the Zymbal's gland, whose function in the health of the ear canal and tympanic membrane has not been determined. We report that the EDA deficient Tabby (EdaTa) mouse, the EDAR deficient mouse (EdarOVE1B/OVE1B) and the EDARADD deficient sparse and wavy hair rat (Edaraddswh/swh) have Zymbal's gland hypoplasia. EdaTa mice also have ear canal hypotrichosis and a 25% prevalence of otitis externa at P21. Treatment with agonist anti-EDAR antibodies rescues Zymbal's glands and ear canal pilosebaceous units. The aetiopathogenesis of otitis externa involves infection with Gram-positive cocci and dosing pregnant and lactating EdaTa females and pups with Enrofloxacin reduces the prevalence of otitis externa. We infer the deficit of sebum is the principal factor in predisposition to bacterial infection and the EdaTa mouse is a potentially useful microbial challenge model for human acute otitis externa, commonly known as swimmer's ear.