Information transmission in a cell monolayer: A numerical study.

Area of Science:

• Cellular biology
• Biophysics
• Systems biology

Background:

• Spatiotemporal waves of MAPK/ERK activity are vital for long-range communication in regenerating tissues.
• Understanding wave propagation dynamics in cellular networks is crucial for tissue repair.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate stochastic homoclinic fronts in cell-to-cell channels.
• Evaluate information transmission rates and identify factors limiting communication efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Modeling stochastic homoclinic fronts in cellular channels.
• Analyzing front propagation failure, new front spawning, and velocity variability.
• Examining trade-offs between wave initiation frequency and information fidelity.

Main Results:

• Identified stochastic phenomena (propagation failure, new front spawning, velocity variability) that reduce information transmission.
• Determined that optimal channel width balances propagation failure and new front spawning frequencies.
• Found optimal wave initiation frequency depends on a trade-off between information rate and transmission fidelity.

Conclusions:

• Optimal channel geometry and wave initiation dynamics are critical for efficient intercellular communication.
• Insights into the relative timescales of intra- and intercellular processes are necessary for successful wave propagation.
• This research provides a framework for understanding information transfer in biological systems.