Receptor promiscuity and feedback control mediate accurate and robust encoding and decoding of positional information during morphogenesis

Spatial profiles of morphogens provide positional information in a developing tissue during morphogenesis. The cells read the local morphogen concentrations via receptors and process this information via signalling mechanisms before inferring their position in terms of a transcriptional readout. However, the processes of binding to receptors and their internalisation by signalling mechanisms also mediate the dynamics of the morphogen profile through the effect on transport and degradation/removal of morphogen molecules. In this study, we show how receptor promiscuity and feedback control on receptors can act as local cell autonomous control mechanisms that allow for sculpting of morphogen profiles in tandem with accurate and robust positional inference. In effect, the same cellular processes provide robustness to encoding and decoding of positional information in morphogens simultaneously.