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Controlling the Synchronization of Molecular Oscillators through Indirect Coupling
Shiho Inagaki1, Nathanael Aubert-Kato1
1Department of Information Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo 112-8610, Japan.
Micromachines
|February 25, 2022
Summary
This study explores molecular oscillator coupling via enzymatic saturation, identifying distinct uncoupled, partially, and fully coupled system regimes. Findings guide the design of molecular systems by revealing parameter-dependent coupling transitions.
Area of Science:
- Systems Biology
- Biophysics
- Molecular Engineering
Background:
- Repressilators are molecular oscillators crucial for biological functions.
- Understanding coupling dynamics in molecular systems is key for synthetic biology applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the indirect coupling of repressilators through enzymatic saturation.
- To identify conditions leading to different coupling regimes (uncoupled, partially coupled, fully coupled).
Main Methods:
- Extended autocorrelation measures to detect system period and coupling.
- Explored parameter space involving molecular concentrations and enzymatic saturation.
Main Results:
- Identified distinct regions of uncoupled, partially, and fully coupled repressilator systems.
- Discovered a critical parameter region exhibiting sharp transitions in coupling behavior.
- Demonstrated that environmental signals can dynamically alter coupling regimes.
Conclusions:
- Parameter exploration provides a roadmap for designing molecular systems with tunable coupling.
- Findings are applicable to active materials and molecular robot controllers.
- Enzymatic saturation is a critical factor in controlling molecular oscillator network behavior.
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