Mechanics Promotes Coherence in Heterogeneous Active Media

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Biophysics
• Computational Biology

Background:

• Synchronization of myocyte activity is essential for vital organ function, such as in the heart.
• Understanding self-organized coordination in heterogeneous excitable cell ensembles is clinically significant.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the collective behavior of excitable cells under varying intercellular coupling and electrophysiological diversity.
• To explore the role of stretch-activated currents in promoting global coherence.

Main Methods:

• Computational modeling of excitable cell ensembles.
• Systematic variation of intercellular coupling strength.
• Analysis of electrophysiological diversity and its impact on collective dynamics.
• Inclusion of stretch-activated currents to simulate mechanical feedback.

Main Results:

• A wide spectrum of collective behaviors emerged with altered coupling and diversity, including synchronized activity clusters.
• Stretch-activated currents were shown to modulate cellular activity through mechanical deformation waves.
• Mechanical feedback significantly promoted robust global coherence in the cell ensemble.

Conclusions:

• Intercellular coupling and cellular diversity are key determinants of collective dynamics in myocyte systems.
• Mechanical feedback via stretch-activated currents is a critical mechanism for achieving robust global synchronization.
• Findings have implications for understanding and potentially treating cardiac arrhythmias and other synchronization-related disorders.