Self-Sustained Collective Oscillation Generated in an Array of Non-Oscillatory Cells

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel mechanism for collective oscillations in multi-cellular systems, where coupling and wave propagation induce oscillations without requiring individual oscillatory cells or external periodic stimuli.

Contribution

It proposes a new scenario for collective oscillation driven by coupling and wave propagation, independent of intrinsic cellular oscillators or external periodic stimulation.

Findings

Coupling induces oscillations in non-oscillatory cells.

Wave propagation facilitates collective oscillation.

Oscillations emerge without intrinsic cellular oscillators.

Abstract

Oscillations represent a ubiquitous phenomenon in biological systems. The conventional models of biological periodic oscillations are usually proposed as interconnecting transcriptional feedback loops. Some specific proteins function as transcription factors, which in turn negatively regulate the expression of the genes that encode those "clock protein". These loops may lead to rhythmic changes in gene expression of a cell. In the case of multi-cellular tissue, the collective oscillation is often obtained from synchronization of these cells, which manifest themselves as autonomous oscillators. In contrast, here, we propose a different scenario for the occurrence of collective oscillation in a multi-cellular system independent of oscillation, neither intrinsically oscillatory cells nor periodic external stimulation. It is a coupling induced oscillation, with the consideration of wave propagation due to the intracellular communication.