Multiple natural and artificial oscillator systems achieve synchronisation when oscillators are coupled. The coupling mechanism, essentially the communication between oscillators, is often assumed to be continuous and bidirectional. However, the cells of the presomitic mesoderm synchronise their gene expression oscillations through Notch signalling, which is intermittent and directed from a ligand-presenting to a receptor-presenting cell. Motivated by this mode of communication we present a phase-gated and unidirectional coupling mechanism. We identify conditions under which it can successfully bring two or more oscillators to cycle in-phase. In the presomitic mesoderm we observed the oscillatory dynamics of two synchronizing cell populations and record one population halting its pace while the other keeps undisturbed, as would be predicted from our model. For the same system another important prediction, convergence to a specific range of phases upon synchronisation is also confirmed. Thus, the proposed mechanism accurately describes the coordinated oscillations of the presomitic mesoderm cells and provides an alternative framework for deciphering synchronisation.

中文翻译：

---

通过单向和相位门控信令进行蜂窝同步

当振荡器耦合时，多个自然和人工振荡器系统实现同步。耦合机制，本质上是振荡器之间的通信，通常被认为是连续且双向的。但是，早中胚层的细胞通过Notch信号使它们的基因表达振荡同步，该信号是间歇性的，从配体呈递到受体呈递细胞。受这种通信方式的激励，我们提出了一种相位门控和单向耦合机制。我们确定了可以成功地使两个或多个振荡器同相循环的条件。在早熟的中胚层中，我们观察到两个同步细胞种群的振荡动力学，并记录了一个种群停止了其步速，而另一个种群保持了不受干扰，正如我们的模型所预测的那样。对于同一系统，另一个重要的预测是，在同步时也可以收敛到特定的相位范围。因此，提出的机制准确地描述了早熟中胚层细胞的协调振荡，并提供了解密同步的替代框架。