EMERGENT PROPERTIES OF COUPLED ENZYME REACTION SYSTEMS .1. SWITCHING AND CLUSTERING BEHAVIOR

The dynamics of locally and globally coupled cells that convert a subs trate to a product via an uncompetitive substrate-inhibition mechanism is studied. When the cell-cell coupling strength is below a threshold value, the coupled system exhibits a large number of steady states; h owever, all cells cluster to one state when coupling exceeds the thres hold value. The coupled system also exhibits a buffering capacity that maintains low and almost constant intracellular and extracellular sub strate levels; however, there exists a threshold value on the influx r ate of extracellular substrate beyond which the system switches to hig her substrate levels. This transition becomes sharper as the number of coupled cells increases. Propagation failure of concentration fronts between adjacent cells is also exhibited by the system.