Berlin 2015 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 34: Statistical Physics of Biological Systems II (joint BP/DY/CPP)

BP 34.3: Talk

Wednesday, March 18, 2015, 10:00–10:15, H 1028

In vitro Min protein patterns arise from self-controlled chaos — •Jacob Halatek and Erwin Frey — Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany

The mass-conserving reaction-diffusion dynamics of Min proteins act as spatial regulator for the assembly of the cell division machinery. A plethora of experiments has demonstrated a remarkable adaptability of oscillatory Min proteins patterns to variations of system geometry. As such, the Min system serves as ideal basis to study the theoretical concepts underlying a real pattern-forming system that can be found in nature. The classical picture for pattern-forming reaction-diffusion systems is rooted in two distinct concepts: The diffusion driven instability proposed by Turing, and the concept of diffusively coupled, self-sustained oscillators proposed by Kuramoto. Here, we investigate the spatio-temporal instabilities of Min protein dynamics that lead to characteristic patterns observed in vivo and in vitro. We find that the in vitro instability cannot be ascribed to any of the two classical concepts but gives rise to a new one. We find transient Turing patterns at onset that loose stability to a chaotic attractor. Further from onset this chaotic attractor condenses into a global limit cycle, passing a regime with transient chimera states. As such, Min protein patterns arise in vitro from a state of self-controlled chaos, rather than from destabilization of uniform states. We find that such dynamics stem from generic properties of mass-conserved reaction-diffusion dynamics and are not specific to the Min system.