698 research outputs found
Delay-induced patterns in a two-dimensional lattice of coupled oscillators
We show how a variety of stable spatio-temporal periodic patterns can be
created in 2D-lattices of coupled oscillators with non-homogeneous coupling
delays. A "hybrid dispersion relation" is introduced, which allows studying the
stability of time-periodic patterns analytically in the limit of large delay.
The results are illustrated using the FitzHugh-Nagumo coupled neurons as well
as coupled limit cycle (Stuart-Landau) oscillators
A stochastic and dynamical view of pluripotency in mouse embryonic stem cells
Pluripotent embryonic stem cells are of paramount importance for biomedical
research thanks to their innate ability for self-renewal and differentiation
into all major cell lines. The fateful decision to exit or remain in the
pluripotent state is regulated by complex genetic regulatory network. Latest
advances in transcriptomics have made it possible to infer basic topologies of
pluripotency governing networks. The inferred network topologies, however, only
encode boolean information while remaining silent about the roles of dynamics
and molecular noise in gene expression. These features are widely considered
essential for functional decision making. Herein we developed a framework for
extending the boolean level networks into models accounting for individual
genetic switches and promoter architecture which allows mechanistic
interrogation of the roles of molecular noise, external signaling, and network
topology. We demonstrate the pluripotent state of the network to be a broad
attractor which is robust to variations of gene expression. Dynamics of exiting
the pluripotent state, on the other hand, is significantly influenced by the
molecular noise originating from genetic switching events which makes cells
more responsive to extracellular signals. Lastly we show that steady state
probability landscape can be significantly remodeled by global gene switching
rates alone which can be taken as a proxy for how global epigenetic
modifications exert control over stability of pluripotent states.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figure
Control of stochastic and induced switching in biophysical networks
Noise caused by fluctuations at the molecular level is a fundamental part of
intracellular processes. While the response of biological systems to noise has
been studied extensively, there has been limited understanding of how to
exploit it to induce a desired cell state. Here we present a scalable,
quantitative method based on the Freidlin-Wentzell action to predict and
control noise-induced switching between different states in genetic networks
that, conveniently, can also control transitions between stable states in the
absence of noise. We apply this methodology to models of cell differentiation
and show how predicted manipulations of tunable factors can induce lineage
changes, and further utilize it to identify new candidate strategies for cancer
therapy in a cell death pathway model. This framework offers a systems approach
to identifying the key factors for rationally manipulating biophysical
dynamics, and should also find use in controlling other classes of noisy
complex networks.Comment: A ready-to-use code package implementing the method described here is
available from the authors upon reques
Scale-Free topologies and Activatory-Inhibitory interactions
A simple model of activatory-inhibitory interactions controlling the activity
of agents (substrates) through a "saturated response" dynamical rule in a
scale-free network is thoroughly studied. After discussing the most remarkable
dynamical features of the model, namely fragmentation and multistability, we
present a characterization of the temporal (periodic and chaotic) fluctuations
of the quasi-stasis asymptotic states of network activity. The double (both
structural and dynamical) source of entangled complexity of the system temporal
fluctuations, as an important partial aspect of the Correlation
Structure-Function problem, is further discussed to the light of the numerical
results, with a view on potential applications of these general results.Comment: Revtex style, 12 pages and 12 figures. Enlarged manuscript with major
revision and new results incorporated. To appear in Chaos (2006
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