539 research outputs found

    A new multicompartmental reaction-diffusion modeling method links transient membrane attachment of E. coli MinE to E-ring formation

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    Many important cellular processes are regulated by reaction-diffusion (RD) of molecules that takes place both in the cytoplasm and on the membrane. To model and analyze such multicompartmental processes, we developed a lattice-based Monte Carlo method, Spatiocyte that supports RD in volume and surface compartments at single molecule resolution. Stochasticity in RD and the excluded volume effect brought by intracellular molecular crowding, both of which can significantly affect RD and thus, cellular processes, are also supported. We verified the method by comparing simulation results of diffusion, irreversible and reversible reactions with the predicted analytical and best available numerical solutions. Moreover, to directly compare the localization patterns of molecules in fluorescence microscopy images with simulation, we devised a visualization method that mimics the microphotography process by showing the trajectory of simulated molecules averaged according to the camera exposure time. In the rod-shaped bacterium _Escherichia coli_, the division site is suppressed at the cell poles by periodic pole-to-pole oscillations of the Min proteins (MinC, MinD and MinE) arising from carefully orchestrated RD in both cytoplasm and membrane compartments. Using Spatiocyte we could model and reproduce the _in vivo_ MinDE localization dynamics by accounting for the established properties of MinE. Our results suggest that the MinE ring, which is essential in preventing polar septation, is largely composed of MinE that is transiently attached to the membrane independently after recruited by MinD. Overall, Spatiocyte allows simulation and visualization of complex spatial and reaction-diffusion mediated cellular processes in volumes and surfaces. As we showed, it can potentially provide mechanistic insights otherwise difficult to obtain experimentally

    Isolation of Flow and Nonflow Correlations by Two- and Four-Particle Cumulant Measurements of Azimuthal Harmonics in sNN=\sqrt{s_{_{\rm NN}}} = 200 GeV Au+Au Collisions

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    A data-driven method was applied to measurements of Au+Au collisions at sNN=\sqrt{s_{_{\rm NN}}} = 200 GeV made with the STAR detector at RHIC to isolate pseudorapidity distance Δη\Delta\eta-dependent and Δη\Delta\eta-independent correlations by using two- and four-particle azimuthal cumulant measurements. We identified a component of the correlation that is Δη\Delta\eta-independent, which is likely dominated by anisotropic flow and flow fluctuations. It was also found to be independent of η\eta within the measured range of pseudorapidity η<1|\eta|<1. The relative flow fluctuation was found to be 34%±2%(stat.)±3%(sys.)34\% \pm 2\% (stat.) \pm 3\% (sys.) for particles of transverse momentum pTp_{T} less than 22 GeV/cc. The Δη\Delta\eta-dependent part may be attributed to nonflow correlations, and is found to be 5%±2%(sys.)5\% \pm 2\% (sys.) relative to the flow of the measured second harmonic cumulant at Δη>0.7|\Delta\eta| > 0.7

    Charged-to-neutral correlation at forward rapidity in Au+Au collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200 GeV

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    Event-by-event fluctuations of the ratio of inclusive charged to photon multiplicities at forward rapidity in Au+Au collision at sNN\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200 GeV have been studied. Dominant contribution to such fluctuations is expected to come from correlated production of charged and neutral pions. We search for evidences of dynamical fluctuations of different physical origins. Observables constructed out of moments of multiplicities are used as measures of fluctuations. Mixed events and model calculations are used as baselines. Results are compared to the dynamical net-charge fluctuations measured in the same acceptance. A non-zero statistically significant signal of dynamical fluctuations is observed in excess to the model prediction when charged particles and photons are measured in the same acceptance. We find that, unlike dynamical net-charge fluctuation, charge-neutral fluctuation is not dominated by correlation due to particle decay. Results are compared to the expectations based on the generic production mechanism of pions due to isospin symmetry, for which no significant (<1%) deviation is observed.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure
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