Inward rotating spiral waves in glycolysis

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Chemical Kinetics
• Nonlinear Dynamics

Background:

• Biochemical oscillations are fundamental in biological systems.
• Reaction-diffusion systems exhibit complex spatiotemporal patterns like spiral waves.
• Understanding wave propagation dynamics is crucial for deciphering cellular processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the first observation of inward rotating spiral waves (antispirals) in a biochemical reaction-diffusion system.
• To investigate the role of protein concentration in wave propagation dynamics.
• To validate experimental findings with numerical simulations.

Main Methods:

• Experiments were conducted using yeast cell extracts in an open spatial reactor.
• Glycolytic activity waves were monitored under varying protein concentrations.
• Numerical simulations employed an allosteric model of phosphofructokinase, incorporating its octameric structure.

Main Results:

• Inward rotating spiral waves (antispirals) were observed for the first time in this system.
• Increasing protein concentration induced a transition from outward to inward propagating waves.
• Simulations successfully reproduced inward propagating waves across a broad parameter range.

Conclusions:

• The study demonstrates the existence of antispirals in a biochemical context.
• Yeast phosphofructokinase's octameric structure is critical for reproducing inward wave propagation.
• This work provides new insights into pattern formation in biological reaction-diffusion systems.