Cells depend on signaling networks to communicate with each other and respond to the changing environment. The activities of signaling networks are not uniform across the cell. Instead, recent advances in live cell imaging reveal that complex feedback loops between signaling proteins often lead to organized patterns of activation in space and time, such as propagating waves and oscillations, which can be observed on multiple scales, from subcellular levels to cell populations. In many instances, these activities display features of excitable systems including mutually annihilating waves, switch-like responses, and the existence of refractory periods.
Such self-organized and excitable signaling activities play important roles in a wide range of cellular functions in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. For example, propagating waves of Ras-PI3K signaling in amoeboid and epithelial cells drive the actin-based cytoskeleton to generate dynamic protrusions that underlie cell motility. ERK signaling waves coordinate the collective movement of cell populations during development and tissue regeneration. Periodic activation of segmentation clocks involving Notch signaling instruct the formation of somites in vertebrates. The dynamics of p53 and NF-kB oscillations control gene expression in response to cellular stress. Periodic waves of cAMP gather Dictyostelium to form fruiting bodies. Oscillating MinCDE waves specify the position of division machinery in bacteria. Observations of these phenomena are increasingly common, and it is likely many more instances exist.
The sensitivity of these systems to chemical and mechanical stimuli allow cells to integrate different types of information and respond properly in a complex environment. Derangements in self-organized signaling activities have been implicated in diseases such as cancer. Experimental and theoretical studies have shed light on the mechanistic basis of self-organization, which are commonly described using mathematical models of reaction-diffusion activator-inhibitor systems. However, due to the complexity of signaling network structures, the molecular basis of these phenomena is often incompletely understood.
The goal of this Research Topic is to provide an update on the current understanding of self-organized and excitable signaling phenomena and identify opportunities for future investigation. We welcome original research, reviews, and mini reviews relevant to the following themes:
-Functions of self-organized and excitable signaling activities in different biological processes
-Molecular mechanisms of self-organization and excitability
-Theoretical modeling of self-organized and excitable signaling activities
-Disease implications of derangements in self-organized and excitable signaling networks
Cells depend on signaling networks to communicate with each other and respond to the changing environment. The activities of signaling networks are not uniform across the cell. Instead, recent advances in live cell imaging reveal that complex feedback loops between signaling proteins often lead to organized patterns of activation in space and time, such as propagating waves and oscillations, which can be observed on multiple scales, from subcellular levels to cell populations. In many instances, these activities display features of excitable systems including mutually annihilating waves, switch-like responses, and the existence of refractory periods.
Such self-organized and excitable signaling activities play important roles in a wide range of cellular functions in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. For example, propagating waves of Ras-PI3K signaling in amoeboid and epithelial cells drive the actin-based cytoskeleton to generate dynamic protrusions that underlie cell motility. ERK signaling waves coordinate the collective movement of cell populations during development and tissue regeneration. Periodic activation of segmentation clocks involving Notch signaling instruct the formation of somites in vertebrates. The dynamics of p53 and NF-kB oscillations control gene expression in response to cellular stress. Periodic waves of cAMP gather Dictyostelium to form fruiting bodies. Oscillating MinCDE waves specify the position of division machinery in bacteria. Observations of these phenomena are increasingly common, and it is likely many more instances exist.
The sensitivity of these systems to chemical and mechanical stimuli allow cells to integrate different types of information and respond properly in a complex environment. Derangements in self-organized signaling activities have been implicated in diseases such as cancer. Experimental and theoretical studies have shed light on the mechanistic basis of self-organization, which are commonly described using mathematical models of reaction-diffusion activator-inhibitor systems. However, due to the complexity of signaling network structures, the molecular basis of these phenomena is often incompletely understood.
The goal of this Research Topic is to provide an update on the current understanding of self-organized and excitable signaling phenomena and identify opportunities for future investigation. We welcome original research, reviews, and mini reviews relevant to the following themes:
-Functions of self-organized and excitable signaling activities in different biological processes
-Molecular mechanisms of self-organization and excitability
-Theoretical modeling of self-organized and excitable signaling activities
-Disease implications of derangements in self-organized and excitable signaling networks
