Pattern formation in reaction-diffusion system on membrane with mechanochemical feedback

Area of Science:

• Cell biology
• Biophysics
• Chemical kinetics

Background:

• Biological membrane shape is crucial for cellular functions and is actively regulated.
• While protein-induced membrane deformation at equilibrium is understood, non-equilibrium dynamics remain less explored.
• Chemical reaction propagation in plasma membranes necessitates understanding reaction-diffusion on curved, deformable surfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate non-equilibrium pattern formation on vesicles driven by mechanochemical feedback.
• To explore how membrane deformation influences reaction-diffusion dynamics.
• To understand the interplay between chemical reactions and membrane mechanics.

Main Methods:

• Utilized dynamically triangulated membrane simulations.
• Incorporated the Brusselator model for chemical reactions.
• Performed linear stability analysis to determine pattern stability.

Main Results:

• Membrane deformation alters stable patterns compared to non-deformable surfaces.
• Turing patterns were observed to induce vesicle budding and multi-spindle shapes.
• Transitions from oscillatory patterns to stable spot patterns were identified.

Conclusions:

• Mechanochemical feedback is critical for pattern formation on dynamic membranes.
• Understanding these patterns provides insights into cell shape regulation and morphogenesis.
• This work bridges chemical kinetics and membrane biophysics in non-equilibrium systems.