PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Sanchez, Paul Gerald Layague
AU  - Mochulska, Victoria
AU  - Denis, Christian Mauffette
AU  - Mönke, Gregor
AU  - Tomita, Takehito
AU  - Tsuchida-Straeten, Nobuko
AU  - Petersen, Yvonne
AU  - Sonnen, Katharina F.
AU  - François, Paul
AU  - Aulehla, Alexander
TI  - Arnold tongue entrainment reveals dynamical principles of the embryonic segmentation clock
AID  - 10.1101/2021.10.20.465101
DP  - 2022 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 2021.10.20.465101
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2022/04/30/2021.10.20.465101.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2022/04/30/2021.10.20.465101.full
AB  - Living systems exhibit an unmatched complexity, due to countless, entangled interactions across scales. Here we aim to understand a complex system, i.e. segmentation timing in mouse embryos, without a reference to these detailed interactions. To this end, we develop a coarse-grained approach, in which theory guides the experimental identification of the segmentation clock entrainment responses.We demonstrate period- and phase-locking of the segmentation clock across a wide range of entrainment parameters, including higher-order coupling. These quantifications allow to derive the phase response curve (PRC) and Arnold tongues of the segmentation clock, revealing its essential dynamical properties. Our results indicate that the somite segmentation clock has characteristics reminiscent of a highly non-linear oscillator close to an infinite period bifurcation and suggests the presence of long-term feedbacks.Combined, this coarse-grained theoretical-experimental approach reveals how we can derive simple, essential features of a highly complex dynamical system, providing precise experimental control over the pace and rhythm of the somite segmentation clock.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.