Bifurcations of nonlinear reaction-diffusion systems in oblate spheroids (Q790730)

The author is generalizing his prepattern theory of mitosis to the case when the cells are not necessarily spherical (here, they are oblate spheroids). Considered are solutions of a system of nonlinear parabolic partial differential equations: \[ (1)\quad \partial c_ 1/\partial t=\nu -k_ 1ec_ 1c_ 2^{\gamma}/(k+c_ 2^{\gamma})+D_ 1\Delta c_ 1,\quad \partial c_ 2/\partial t=k_ 1ec_ 1c_ 2^{\gamma}/(k+c_ 2^{\gamma})-k_ 3c_ 2+D_ 2\Delta c_ 2 \] where \(\Delta\) is the three-dimensional Laplace operator, while \(c_ 1\) and \(c_ 2\) are the concentrations of certain important cell constituents. Basically, the analysis is carried out by looking at bifurcations of the solutions of system (1), when traversing the parameter space. Such approach requires, in the considered case, sophisticated numerical techniques. By manipulating a parameter corresponding to enzyme activity, it is possible to demonstrate that after crossing a threshold activity level, the homogeneous (constant) concentrations \(c_ 1\) and \(c_ 2\) are no more stable. Instead, stable spatial (''pre-'') patterns appear, bipolar or more complicated. The author discusses these findings, comparing them to the formation of the chromosome distribution in a radiolarian Aulacantha Scolymantha.