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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
06:09
Studying the Protein Quality Control System of D. discoideum Using Temperature-controlled Live Cell Imaging
Published on: December 2, 2016
Stochastic noise and synchronisation during dictyostelium aggregation make cAMP oscillations robust
Jongrae Kim1, Pat Heslop-Harrison, Ian Postlethwaite
1Control and Instrumentation Group, Department of Engineering, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom. jkim@aero.gla.ac.uk
Plos Computational Biology
|November 14, 2007
Summary
Robust oscillations in adenosine 3
Area of Science:
- Cellular biology
- Biophysics
- Systems biology
Background:
- Dictyostelium discoideum exhibits stable oscillations in cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) during development.
- Understanding the robustness of these oscillations is crucial for comprehending cellular communication and development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify key factors contributing to the robustness of cAMP oscillations in Dictyostelium discoideum.
- To investigate the roles of molecular noise and cell-cell synchronization in maintaining oscillation stability.
Main Methods:
- Mathematical modeling of intracellular networks.
- Application of robust control theory principles.
- Stochastic simulations to analyze molecular fluctuations.
Main Results:
- Stochastic fluctuations in molecular interactions are vital for stable oscillations amidst kinetic variations.
- Extracellular cAMP diffusion synchronizes cells, ensuring robustness against cell-to-cell variability.
- Robustness analysis requires stochastic simulations, even at high molecular concentrations.
Conclusions:
- Both molecular noise and intercellular communication are essential for robust cAMP oscillations.
- Stochastic simulations are indispensable for accurately modeling biological oscillators.
- Findings have broad implications for understanding various biomolecular networks, including circadian and calcium oscillations.
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