Excitable signal transduction induces both spontaneous and directional cell asymmetries in the phosphatidylinositol lipid signaling system for eukaryotic chemotaxis.

ABSTRACT: Intracellular asymmetry in the signaling network works as a compass to navigate eukaryotic chemotaxis in response to guidance cues. Although the compass variable can be derived from a self-organization dynamics, such as excitability, the responsible mechanism remains to be clarified. Here, we analyzed the spatiotemporal dynamics of the phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PtdInsP3) pathway, which is crucial for chemotaxis. We show that spontaneous activation of PtdInsP3-enriched domains is generated by an intrinsic excitable system. Formation of the same signal domain could be triggered by various perturbations, such as short impulse perturbations that triggered the activation of intrinsic dynamics to form signal domains. We also observed the refractory behavior exhibited in typical e

SUBMITTER: Nishikawa M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3944603 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature