Balancing at the edge of excitability: Implications for cell movement

Abstract: Cells rely on the ability to sense and respond to small spatial differences in chemoattractant concentrations for survival. There is growing evidence that this is accomplished by setting the signaling system near the threshold for activation in an excitable system and using the spatial heterogeneities to alter the threshold thereby biasing cell activity in the direction of the gradient. Here we consider a scheme by which the set point is adaptively set near the bifurcation point, but without explicit knowledge of this point. Through simulation, we show that the method would improve chemotactic efficiency of cells. The results of this paper are based on pioneering work by Eduardo Sontag and coworkers, to whom this paper is dedicated in honor of his 70th birthday.