Pitchfork Bifurcation In A Coupled Cell System

Abstract

Various biological phenomena, like cell differentiation and pattern formation in multicellular organisms, are explained using the bifurcation theory. Molecular network motifs like positive feedback and mutual repressor exhibit bifurcation and are responsible for the emergence of diverse cell types. Mathematical investigations of such problems usually focus on bifurcation in a molecular network in individual cells. However, in a multicellular organism, cells interact, and intercellular interactions affect individual cell dynamics. Therefore, the bifurcation in an ensemble of cells could differ from that for a single cell. This work considers a ring of identical cells. When independent, each cell exhibits supercritical pitchfork bifurcation. Using analytical and numerical tools, we investigate the bifurcation in this ensemble when cells interact through positive and negative coupling. We show that within a specific parameter zone, an ensemble of positively coupled cells behaves like a single cell with supercritical pitchfork bifurcation. In this regime, all cells are synchronized and have the same steady state. However, this unique behaviour is lost when cells interact through negative coupling. Apart from the synchronized (or homogenous) states, cell-cell coupling leads to certain heterogeneous steady states with unique patterns. We also investigate the distribution of such heterogeneous states under positive and negative coupling.