Excitable reaction-diffusion waves in deformable membranes: disappearance, division, and route change

Shapes of biomembrane in living cells are regulated by curvature-inducing proteins. However, the effects of membrane deformation on signal transactions such as chemical waves have not been researched adequately. Here, we report that membrane deformation can alter the propagation of excitable reaction-diffusion waves using state-of-the-art simulations. Reaction waves can induce large shape transformations, such as membrane budding and necking, that erase or divide the wave, depending on the curvature generated by the waves, feedback to the wave propagation, and the ratio of the reaction and deformation times. Using genus-2 vesicles, we demonstrate that the occasional disappearance of the waves results in the reverse operation of the wave circuit. Our findings suggest that membrane deformation and reaction waves can together regulate signal transactions on biomembranes.