The collective dynamics of NF − κB in cellular ensembles

Abstract

The transcription factor NF − κB is a crucial component in inflammatory signalling. Its dynamics is known to be oscillatory and has been extensively studied. Using a recently developed model of NF − κB regulation, we examine the collective dynamics of a network of NF − κB oscillators that are coupled exogenously by a common drive (in this case a periodically varying cytokine signal corresponding to the TNF molecule concentration). There is multistability owing to the overlapping of Arnol’d tongues in each of the oscillators, and thus the collective dynamics exhibit a variety of complex dynamical states. We also study the case of a globally (mean field) coupled network and observe that the ensemble can display global synchronisation, cluster synchronisation and splay states. In addition, there can be dynamical chimeras, namely coexisting synchronised and desynchronized clusters. The basins of attraction of these different collective states are studied and the parametric dependence in the basin uncertainty is examined.