Complex dynamics in a synchronized cell-free genetic clock

Complex dynamics such as period doubling and chaos occur in a wide variety of non-linear dynamical systems. In the context of biological circadian clocks, such phenomena have been previously found in computational models, but their experimental study in biological systems has been challenging. Here,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature communications 2022-05, Vol.13 (1), p.2852-9, Article 2852
Main Authors: Aufinger, Lukas, Brenner, Johann, Simmel, Friedrich C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
631/553/552
639/766/747
Biological clocks
Chaos theory
Circadian Clocks - genetics
Circadian Rhythm
Circadian rhythms
Computer applications
Dynamical systems
Entrainment
Gene expression
Humanities and Social Sciences
Mathematical models
Microfluidics
Models, Biological
Models, Theoretical
multidisciplinary
Nonlinear systems
Ordinary differential equations
Oscillators
Period doubling
Proteins
Reagents
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
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Summary:Complex dynamics such as period doubling and chaos occur in a wide variety of non-linear dynamical systems. In the context of biological circadian clocks, such phenomena have been previously found in computational models, but their experimental study in biological systems has been challenging. Here, we present experimental evidence of period doubling in a forced cell-free genetic oscillator operated in a microfluidic reactor, where the system is periodically perturbed by modulating the concentration of one of the oscillator components. When the external driving matches the intrinsic period, we experimentally find period doubling and quadrupling in the oscillator dynamics. Our results closely match the predictions of a theoretical model, which also suggests conditions under which our system would display chaotic dynamics. We show that detuning of the external and intrinsic period leads to more stable entrainment, suggesting a simple design principle for synchronized synthetic and natural genetic clocks. In theory, driven biological oscillators can display complex dynamic behaviors, but these are experimentally difficult to observe. Here the authors, using microfluidics, show that a synthetic cell-free gene oscillator displays period doubling and even quadrupling.
ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723
DOI:10.1038/s41467-022-30478-2