Synchronization of uncoupled oscillators by common gamma impulses: from phase locking to noise-induced synchronization

Nonlinear oscillators can mutually synchronize when they are driven by common external impulses. Two important scenarios are (i) synchronization resulting from phase locking of each oscillator to regular periodic impulses and (ii) noise-induced synchronization caused by Poisson random impulses, but their difference has not been fully quantified. Here we analyze a pair of uncoupled oscillators subject to common random impulses with gamma-distributed intervals, which can be smoothly interpolated between regular periodic and random Poisson impulses. Their dynamics are charac- terized by phase distributions, frequency detuning, Lyapunov exponents, and information-theoretic measures, which clearly reveal the differences between the two synchronization scenarios.Comment: 18 page

Fluorescent Probes for Imaging Endogenous β-Actin mRNA in Living Cells Using Fluorescent Protein-Tagged Pumilio

Subcellular localization and dynamics of mRNAs control various physiological functions in living cells. A novel technique for visualizing endogenous mRNAs in living cells is necessary for investigation of the spatiotemporal movement of mRNAs. A pumilio homology domain of human pumilio 1 (PUM-HD) is a useful RNA binding protein as a tool for mRNA recognition because the domain can be modified to bind a specific 8-base sequence of target mRNA. In this study, we designed PUM-HD to match the sequence of β-actin mRNA and developed an mRNA probe consisting of two PUM-HD mutants flanking full-length enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Fluorescence microscopy with the probe in living cells revealed that the probe was labeled precisely with the β-actin mRNA in cytosol. Fluorescent spots from the probe were colocalized with microtubules and moved directionally in living cells. The PUM-HD mutants conjugated with full-length EGFP can enable visualization of β-actin mRNA localization and dynamics in living cells