Deformation of elastic networks binding enzymatic sites controls chemical signaling in the network

In living organisms, metabolic activity is controlled by a system of interlinked chemical reactions, referred to as a “chemical reaction network” (CRN), which breaks down nutrients and releases chemical energy. Through the process of chemo-mechanical transduction, the released energy is translated into the physical activity needed for the organism’s functionality. The reverse process of mechano-chemical transduction converts environmental external mechanical stimuli to bio-chemical responses produced by the organisms. Herein, we model a system that undergoes biomimetic mechano-chemical transduction through the combined actions of enzyme-coated beads and the flexible mesh that interconnects the beads into a circular elastic network. The beads catalyze the CRN interact through a negative feedback loop (the “repressilator”), which produces local chemical oscillations. Deformations of this flexible mesh bring new beads into contact and enable synchronization of the local chemical dynamics. Therefore, the system of chemically reactive, interconnected beads intrinsically combines chemistry and mechanics and forms a “chemo-mechanical network” (CMN). We show that the instantaneous geometrical configuration of the CMN affects oscillatory chemical signals that are produced by the CRN. Removing one or two distinct types of beads in the network introduces imperfections in the sample and a new chemical signature that indicates the presence of defects. This distinctive behavior occurs due to the innate coupling of chemistry and mechanics that occurs spontaneously in the biomimetic network.