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Resetting wave forms in dictyostelium territories.
K J Lee1, R E Goldstein, E C Cox
1National Creative Research Initiative Center for Neurodynamics and Department of Physics, Korea University, Seoul 136-701 Korea.
Physical Review Letters
|August 11, 2001
Summary
External chemical pulses were used to study spiral wave patterns in Dictyostelium. Early pulses regenerated spirals, while late pulses created target patterns, supporting cell excitability variation as a key mechanism.
Area of Science:
- Cellular dynamics
- Developmental biology
- Pattern formation
Background:
- Spiral waves are common in biological systems, arising from excitable media.
- In Dictyostelium discoideum, spiral waves are driven by pacemakers and can entrain them.
- Understanding spiral wave formation is crucial for comprehending collective cell behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally investigate the mechanisms underlying spiral wave pattern formation in Dictyostelium populations.
- To probe the role of external chemical perturbations in controlling wave dynamics.
- To test hypotheses linking wave pattern selection to temporal variations in cell excitability.
Main Methods:
- Utilized external chemical perturbation to externally reset signaling waves.
- Applied spatially uniform pulses of extrinsic cyclic AMP at different stages of the signaling cycle.
- Observed and analyzed the resulting wave patterns, comparing early and late resetting effects.
Main Results:
- Early resetting of signaling waves led to the reappearance of spiral wave patterns.
- Late resetting resulted in the formation of target patterns, similar to cardiac defibrillation.
- The observed pattern selection supports the hypothesis of naturally occurring wave pattern selection via slow temporal variation of cell excitability.
Conclusions:
- External chemical perturbation can effectively control spiral wave dynamics in Dictyostelium.
- The timing of perturbation relative to the signaling cycle determines the emergent wave pattern.
- Results provide experimental support for the role of cell excitability dynamics in wave pattern selection.