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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 24: Posters: Physics of Cells

BP 24.1: Poster

Mittwoch, 13. März 2013, 17:30–19:30, Poster C

Induced changes in spatio-temporal oscillations of the cell thickness in response to conflicting stimuli — •Mario Breitkopf and Marcus J. B. Hauser — Abteilung Biophysik, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany

Plasmodia of the unicellular slime mould Physarum polycephalum form a vascular network where protplasma is pumped to and fro through the cell. The pumping is associated with differences in the thickness of the veins (and hence the thickness of the cell). To ensure effective pumping, certain domains of the cell oscillate in phase. The spatial coherence of these thickness oscillations can be affected by external stimuli, which allows this slime mould to make decisions.

Here we study the self-organized, spatiotemporal pattern of cell thickness oscillations that arise when the cell is exposed to two conflicting stimuli. This is realized by presenting the cell a mixture of a chemoattractant and a chemorepellant. We analyze the changes in thickness oscillations in order to unravel whether changes in the signal transduction pathways also translate into the macroscopic patterns of cell thickness oscillations.