Dynamics of excitation in F-actin: Automaton model

Adamatzky, Andrew

Abstract

We propose a model called the F-actin automaton, which represents a filamentous actin molecule as a graph of finite state machines. Each node in the graph can be in one of three states: resting, excited, or refractory. The states of all nodes are updated simultaneously and according to the same rule, in discrete time steps. We consider two different rules in our analysis: the threshold rule and the narrow excitation interval rule. In the threshold rule, a resting node becomes excited if it has at least one excited neighbour. In the narrow excitation interval rule, a resting node is excited only if it has exactly one excited neighbour. To understand the dynamics of the F-actin automaton, we examine the distributions of transient periods and lengths of limit cycles that emerge during its evolution. We investigate the mechanisms underlying the formation of these limit cycles, which represent recurring patterns or oscillations in the system. Additionally, we evaluate the density of information storage in F-actin automata. Information storage refers to the capacity of the system to encode and retain information within its states and transitions. By analysing the characteristics of the F-actin automaton, we gain insights into the amount and efficiency of information that can be stored in this model. Through our analysis, we aim to deepen our understanding of the behaviour and properties of the F-actin automaton. This research contributes to the broader understanding of actin dynamics and provides insights into the potential roles of these automata in cellular processes and information processing.

• Online Publication Date: Mar 27, 2024
• Deposit Date: Jun 21, 2024
• Pages: 105-122
• Series Title: WSPC Book Series in Unconventional Computing
• Book Title: Actin Computation
• Chapter Number: 5
• ISBN: 9789811285066
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811285073_0005
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11896515
• Contract Date: Feb 1, 2024