TY - JOUR A1 - Ernst, Ariane A1 - Schütte, Christof A1 - Sigrist, Stephan A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie T1 - Variance of filtered signals: Characterization for linear reaction networks and application to neurotransmission dynamics JF - Mathematical Biosciences N2 - Neurotransmission at chemical synapses relies on the calcium-induced fusion of synaptic vesicles with the presynaptic membrane. The distance to the calcium channels determines the release probability and thereby the postsynaptic signal. Suitable models of the process need to capture both the mean and the variance observed in electrophysiological measurements of the postsynaptic current. In this work, we propose a method to directly compute the exact first- and second-order moments for signals generated by a linear reaction network under convolution with an impulse response function, rendering computationally expensive numerical simulations of the underlying stochastic counting process obsolete. We show that the autocorrelation of the process is central for the calculation of the filtered signal’s second-order moments, and derive a system of PDEs for the cross-correlation functions (including the autocorrelations) of linear reaction networks with time-dependent rates. Finally, we employ our method to efficiently compare different spatial coarse graining approaches for a specific model of synaptic vesicle fusion. Beyond the application to neurotransmission processes, the developed theory can be applied to any linear reaction system that produces a filtered stochastic signal. Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mbs.2021.108760 VL - 343 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Thies, Arne A1 - Sunkara, Vikram A1 - Ray, Sourav A1 - Wulkow, Hanna A1 - Celik, M. Özgür A1 - Yergöz, Fatih A1 - Schütte, Christof A1 - Stein, Christoph A1 - Weber, Marcus A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie T1 - Modelling altered signalling of G-protein coupled receptors in inflamed environment to advance drug design JF - Scientific Reports N2 - We previously reported the successful design, synthesis and testing of the prototype opioid painkiller NFEPP that does not elicit adverse side effects. The design process of NFEPP was based on mathematical modelling of extracellular interactions between G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and ligands, recognizing that GPCRs function differently under pathological versus healthy conditions. We now present an additional and novel stochastic model of GPCR function that includes intracellular dissociation of G-protein subunits and modulation of plasma membrane calcium channels and their dependence on parameters of inflamed and healthy tissue (pH, radicals). The model is validated against in vitro experimental data for the ligands NFEPP and fentanyl at different pH values and radical concentrations. We observe markedly reduced binding affinity and calcium channel inhibition for NFEPP at normal pH compared to lower pH, in contrast to the effect of fentanyl. For increasing radical concentrations, we find enhanced constitutive G-protein activation but reduced ligand binding affinity. Assessing the different effects, the results suggest that, compared to radicals, low pH is a more important determinant of overall GPCR function in an inflamed environment. Future drug design efforts should take this into account. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-27699-w VL - 13 IS - 607 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Ray, Sourav A1 - Thies, Arne A1 - Sunkara, Vikram A1 - Wulkow, Hanna A1 - Celik, Özgür A1 - Yergöz, Fatih A1 - Schütte, Christof A1 - Stein, Christoph A1 - Weber, Marcus A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie T1 - Modelling altered signalling of G-protein coupled receptors in inflamed environment to advance drug design N2 - Initiated by mathematical modelling of extracellular interactions between G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and ligands in normal versus diseased (inflamed) environments, we previously reported the successful design, synthesis and testing of the prototype opioid painkiller NFEPP that does not elicit adverse side effects. Uniquely, this design recognised that GPCRs function differently under pathological versus healthy conditions. We now present a novel stochastic model of GPCR function that includes intracellular dissociation of G-protein subunits and modulation of plasma membrane calcium channels associated with parameters of inflamed tissue (pH, radicals). By means of molecular dynamics simulations, we also assessed qualitative changes of the reaction rates due to additional disulfide bridges inside the GPCR binding pocket and used these rates for stochastic simulations of the corresponding reaction jump process. The modelling results were validated with in vitro experiments measuring calcium currents and G-protein activation. We found markedly reduced G-protein dissociation and calcium channel inhibition induced by NFEPP at normal pH, and enhanced constitutive G-protein activation but lower probability of ligand binding with increasing radical concentrations. These results suggest that, compared to radicals, low pH is a more important determinant of overall GPCR function in an inflamed environment. Future drug design efforts should take this into account. T3 - ZIB-Report - 21-19 Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-82797 SN - 1438-0064 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Montefusco, Alberto A1 - Schütte, Christof A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie T1 - A route to the hydrodynamic limit of a reaction-diffusion master equation using gradient structures JF - SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics N2 - The reaction-diffusion master equation (RDME) is a lattice-based stochastic model for spatially resolved cellular processes. It is often interpreted as an approximation to spatially continuous reaction-diffusion models, which, in the limit of an infinitely large population, may be described by means of reaction-diffusion partial differential equations. Analyzing and understanding the relation between different mathematical models for reaction-diffusion dynamics is a research topic of steady interest. In this work, we explore a route to the hydrodynamic limit of the RDME which uses gradient structures. Specifically, we elaborate on a method introduced in [J. Maas and A. Mielke, J. Stat. Phys., 181 (2020), pp. 2257–2303] in the context of well-mixed reaction networks by showing that, once it is complemented with an appropriate limit procedure, it can be applied to spatially extended systems with diffusion. Under the assumption of detailed balance, we write down a gradient structure for the RDME and use the method in order to produce a gradient structure for its hydrodynamic limit, namely, for the corresponding RDPDE. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1137/22M1488831 VL - 83 IS - 2 SP - 837 EP - 861 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ernst, Ariane A1 - Falkenhagen, Undine A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie T1 - Model reduction for calcium-induced vesicle fusion dynamics JF - Proceedings in Applied Mathematics & Mechanics N2 - In this work, we adapt an established model for the Ca2+-induced fusion dynamics of synaptic vesicles and employ a lumping method to reduce its complexity. In the reduced system, sequential Ca2+-binding steps are merged to a single releasable state, while keeping the important dependence of the reaction rates on the local Ca2+ concentration. We examine the feasibility of this model reduction for a representative stimulus train over the physiologically relevant site-channel distances. Our findings show that the approximation error is generally small and exhibits an interesting nonlinear and non-monotonic behavior where it vanishes for very low distances and is insignificant at intermediary distances. Furthermore, we give expressions for the reduced model’s reaction rates and suggest that our approach may be used to directly compute effective fusion rates for assessing the validity of a fusion model, thereby circumventing expensive simulations. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/pamm.202300184 VL - 23 IS - 4 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Lücke, Marvin A1 - Koltai, Peter A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie A1 - Molkethin, Nora A1 - Heitzig, Jobst T1 - Discovering collective variable dynamics of agent-based models T2 - 25th International Symposium on Mathematical Theory of Networks and Systems MTNS 2022 N2 - Analytical approximations of the macroscopic behavior of agent-based models (e.g. via mean-field theory) often introduce a significant error, especially in the transient phase. For an example model called continuous-time noisy voter model, we use two data-driven approaches to learn the evolution of collective variables instead. The first approach utilizes the SINDy method to approximate the macroscopic dynamics without prior knowledge, but has proven itself to be not particularly robust. The second approach employs an informed learning strategy which includes knowledge about the agent-based model. Both approaches exhibit a considerably smaller error than the conventional analytical approximation. Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.15495/EPub_UBT_00006809 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Erban, Radek A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie T1 - Multi-grid reaction-diffusion master equation: applications to morphogen gradient modelling JF - Bulletin of Mathematical Biology N2 - The multi-grid reaction-diffusion master equation (mgRDME) provides a generalization of stochastic compartment-based reaction-diffusion modelling described by the standard reaction-diffusion master equation (RDME). By enabling different resolutions on lattices for biochemical species with different diffusion constants, the mgRDME approach improves both accuracy and efficiency of compartment-based reaction-diffusion simulations. The mgRDME framework is examined through its application to morphogen gradient formation in stochastic reaction-diffusion scenarios, using both an analytically tractable first-order reaction network and a model with a second-order reaction. The results obtained by the mgRDME modelling are compared with the standard RDME model and with the (more detailed) particle-based Brownian dynamics simulations. The dependence of error and numerical cost on the compartment sizes is defined and investigated through a multi-objective optimization problem. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11538-024-01377-y VL - 87 SP - 6 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wehlitz, Nathalie A1 - Sadeghi, Mohsen A1 - Montefusco, Alberto A1 - Schütte, Christof A1 - Pavliotis, Grigorios A. A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie T1 - Approximating particle-based clustering dynamics by stochastic PDEs JF - SIAM Journal on Applied Dynamical Systems N2 - This work proposes stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs) as a practical tool to replicate clustering effects of more detailed particle-based dynamics. Inspired by membrane mediated receptor dynamics on cell surfaces, we formulate a stochastic particle-based model for diffusion and pairwise interaction of particles, leading to intriguing clustering phenomena. Employing numerical simulation and cluster detection methods, we explore the approximation of the particle-based clustering dynamics through mean-field approaches. We find that SPDEs successfully reproduce spatiotemporal clustering dynamics, not only in the initial cluster formation period, but also on longer time scales where the successive merging of clusters cannot be tracked by deterministic mean-field models. The computational efficiency of the SPDE approach allows us to generate extensive statistical data for parameter estimation in a simpler model that uses a Markov jump process to capture the temporal evolution of the cluster number. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1137/24M1676661 VL - 24 IS - 2 SP - 1231 EP - 1250 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Berns, Manon A1 - Yildiz, Mirza A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie A1 - Walter, Alexander T1 - Independently engaging protein tethers of different length enhance synaptic vesicle trafficking to the plasma membrane JF - The Journal of Physiology N2 - Synaptic vesicle (SV) trafficking toward the plasma membrane (PM) and subsequent SV maturation are essential for neurotransmitter release. These processes, including SV docking and priming, are coordinated by various proteins, such as SNAREs, Munc13, and Synaptotagmin (Syt), which connect—tether—the SV to the PM. Here, we investigated how tethers of varying lengths mediate SV docking using a simplified mathematical model. The heights of the three tether types—estimated from the structures of the SNARE complex, Munc13, and Syt—defined the SV-to-PM distance ranges for tether formation. Geometric considerations linked SV-to-PM distances to the probability and rate of tether formation. We assumed that SV tethering constrains SV motility and that multiple tethers associate by independent interactions. The model predicted that forming multiple tethers favors shorter SV-to-PM distances. Although tethers acted independently in the model, their geometrical properties often caused sequential assembly, from longer ones (Munc13/Syt), that accelerated SV movement towards the PM, to shorter ones (SNAREs) which stabilized PM-proximal SVs. Modifying tether lengths or numbers affected SV trafficking. The independent implementation of tethering proteins enabled their selective removal to mimic gene knockout situations. This showed that simulated SV-to-PM distance distributions qualitatively aligned with published EM studies upon removal of SNARE and Syt tethers, while Munc13 knockout data were best approximated when assuming additional disruption of SNARE tethers. Thus, while salient features of SV docking can be accounted for by independent tethering alone, our results suggest that functional tether interactions not yet featured in our model are crucial for biological function. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1113/JP286651 VL - 603 IS - 20 SP - 6107 EP - 6134 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Montefusco, Alberto A1 - Helfmann, Luzie A1 - Okunola, Toluwani A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie A1 - Schütte, Christof T1 - Partial mean-field model for neurotransmission dynamics JF - Mathematical Biosciences N2 - This article addresses reaction networks in which spatial and stochastic effects are of crucial importance. For such systems, particle-based models allow us to describe all microscopic details with high accuracy. However, they suffer from computational inefficiency if particle numbers and density get too large. Alternative coarse-grained-resolution models reduce computational effort tremendously, e.g., by replacing the particle distribution by a continuous concentration field governed by reaction-diffusion PDEs. We demonstrate how models on the different resolution levels can be combined into hybrid models that seamlessly combine the best of both worlds, describing molecular species with large copy numbers by macroscopic equations with spatial resolution while keeping the stochastic-spatial particle-based resolution level for the species with low copy numbers. To this end, we introduce a simple particle-based model for the binding dynamics of ions and vesicles at the heart of the neurotransmission process. Within this framework, we derive a novel hybrid model and present results from numerical experiments which demonstrate that the hybrid model allows for an accurate approximation of the full particle-based model in realistic scenarios. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mbs.2024.109143 VL - 369 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lücke, Marvin A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie A1 - Heitzig, Jobst A1 - Molkenthin, Nora A1 - Koltai, Péter T1 - Learning interpretable collective variables for spreading processes on networks JF - Physical Review E N2 - Collective variables (CVs) are low-dimensional projections of high-dimensional system states. They are used to gain insights into complex emergent dynamical behaviors of processes on networks. The relation between CVs and network measures is not well understood and its derivation typically requires detailed knowledge of both the dynamical system and the network topology. In this Letter, we present a data-driven method for algorithmically learning and understanding CVs for binary-state spreading processes on networks of arbitrary topology. We demonstrate our method using four example networks: the stochastic block model, a ring-shaped graph, a random regular graph, and a scale-free network generated by the Albert-Barabási model. Our results deliver evidence for the existence of low-dimensional CVs even in cases that are not yet understood theoretically. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.109.L022301 VL - 109 IS - 2 SP - L022301 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ernst, Ariane A1 - Bankowski, Anastasia A1 - Jusyte, Meida A1 - Okunola, Toluwani A1 - Petrov, Tino A1 - Walter, Alexander A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie T1 - Parameter Optimization for a Neurotransmission Recovery Model JF - Bulletin of Mathematical Biology N2 - We assess the empirical applicability of a simplified model for neurotransmitter release that incorporates maturation, fusion, and recovery of both release sites and vesicles. Model parameters are optimized by fitting the model to experimental data obtained from neuromuscular junction synapses of 3rd-instar Drosophila melanogaster larvae. In particular, the mean-squared error between the local extrema of the simulated total junction current and its experimental counterpart is minimized. We compare three estimation approaches, differing in the choice of optimized parameters and the fusion rate function. Despite the model’s minimalistic structure, it demonstrates a compelling ability to replicate experimental data, yielding plausible parameter estimates for five different animals. An additional identifiability analysis based on the profile likelihood reveals practical non-identifiabilities for several parameters, highlighting the need for additional constraints or data to improve estimation accuracy. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11538-025-01486-2 VL - 87 PB - Bulletin of Mathematical Biology ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Straube, Arthur A1 - Olicón Méndez, Guillermo A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie A1 - Höfling, Felix A1 - Engel, Maximilian T1 - Unfolding the geometric structure and multiple timescales of the urea-urease pH oscillator N2 - We study a two-variable dynamical system modeling pH oscillations in the urea–urease reaction within giant lipid vesicles – a problem that intrinsically contains multiple, well-separated timescales. Building on an existing, deterministic formulation via ordinary differential equations, we resolve different orders of magnitude within a small parameter and analyze the system's limit cycle behavior using geometric singular perturbation theory (GSPT). By introducing two different coordinate scalings – each valid in a distinct region of the phase space – we resolve the local dynamics near critical fold points, using the extension of GSPT through such singular points due to Krupa and Szmolyan. This framework enables a geometric decomposition of the periodic orbits into slow and fast segments and yields closed-form estimates for the period of oscillation. In particular, we link the existence of such oscillations to an underlying biochemical asymmetry, namely, the differential transport across the vesicle membrane. Y1 - 2025 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Coomber, Celvic A1 - Chewle, Surahit A1 - Secker, Christopher A1 - Fackeldey, Konstantin A1 - Weber, Marcus A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie A1 - Schütte, Christof A1 - Sunkara, Vikram T1 - Investigating Endogenous Opioids Unravels the Mechanisms Behind Opioid-Induced Constipation, a Mathematical Modeling Approach JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences N2 - Endogenous opioids, such as Endomorphin-2, are not typically associated with severe constipation, unlike pharmaceutical opioids, which induce opioid-induced constipation (OIC) by activating μ-opioid receptors in the gastrointestinal tract. In this study, we present a mathematical model, which integrates the serotonergic and opioid pathways, simulating the interaction between serotonin and opioid signaling within the enteric nervous system (ENS). The model explores the mechanisms underlying OIC, with a focus on the change in adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity, cAMP accumulation, and the distinct functionalities of Endomorphin-2 compared to commonly used pharmaceutical opioids. We study the effects of Morphine, Fentanyl, and Methadone and contrast them with Endomorphin-2. Our findings reveal that opioids do not perturb the signaling of serotonin, but only the activity of AC, suggesting that serotonin levels have no influence on improving opioid-induced constipation. Furthermore, this study reveals that the primary difference between endogenous and pharmaceutical opioids is their degradation rates. This finding shows that modulating opioid degradation rates significantly improves cAMP recovery. In conclusion, our insights steer towards exploring opioid degrading enzymes, localized to the gut, as a strategy for mitigating OIC. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26136207 VL - 26 IS - 13 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie A1 - Zonker, Johannes A1 - Schütte, Christof A1 - Djurdjevac Conrad, Natasa T1 - Mathematical modeling of spatio-temporal population dynamics and application to epidemic spreading JF - Mathematical Biosciences N2 - Agent based models (ABMs) are a useful tool for modeling spatio-temporal population dynamics, where many details can be included in the model description. Their computational cost though is very high and for stochastic ABMs a lot of individual simulations are required to sample quantities of interest. Especially, large numbers of agents render the sampling infeasible. Model reduction to a metapopulation model leads to a significant gain in computational efficiency, while preserving important dynamical properties. Based on a precise mathematical description of spatio-temporal ABMs, we present two different metapopulation approaches (stochastic and piecewise deterministic) and discuss the approximation steps between the different models within this framework. Especially, we show how the stochastic metapopulation model results from a Galerkin projection of the underlying ABM onto a finite-dimensional ansatz space. Finally, we utilize our modeling framework to provide a conceptual model for the spreading of COVID-19 that can be scaled to real-world scenarios. Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mbs.2021.108619 VL - 336 PB - Elsevier ER - TY - JOUR A1 - del Razo, Mauricio A1 - Frömberg, Daniela A1 - Straube, Arthur A1 - Schütte, Christof A1 - Höfling, Felix A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie T1 - A probabilistic framework for particle-based reaction–diffusion dynamics using classical Fock space representations JF - Letters in Mathematical Physics Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11005-022-01539-w VL - 112 IS - 49 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Straube, Arthur A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie A1 - Schütte, Christof A1 - Höfling, Felix T1 - Stochastic pH oscillations in a model of the urea–urease reaction confined to lipid vesicles JF - J. Phys. Chem. Lett. N2 - The urea-urease clock reaction is a pH switch from acid to basic that can turn into a pH oscillator if it occurs inside a suitable open reactor. We numerically study the confinement of the reaction to lipid vesicles, which permit the exchange with an external reservoir by differential transport, enabling the recovery of the pH level and yielding a constant supply of urea molecules. For microscopically small vesicles, the discreteness of the number of molecules requires a stochastic treatment of the reaction dynamics. Our analysis shows that intrinsic noise induces a significant statistical variation of the oscillation period, which increases as the vesicles become smaller. The mean period, however, is found to be remarkably robust for vesicle sizes down to approximately 200 nm, but the periodicity of the rhythm is gradually destroyed for smaller vesicles. The observed oscillations are explained as a canard-like limit cycle that differs from the wide class of conventional feedback oscillators. Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c03016 VL - 12 SP - 9888 EP - 9893 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ernst, Ariane A1 - Unger, Nathalie A1 - Schütte, Christof A1 - Walter, Alexander A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie T1 - Rate-limiting recovery processes in neurotransmission under sustained stimulation JF - Mathematical Biosciences N2 - At chemical synapses, an arriving electric signal induces the fusion of vesicles with the presynaptic membrane, thereby releasing neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft. After a fusion event, both the release site and the vesicle undergo a recovery process before becoming available for reuse again. Of central interest is the question which of the two restoration steps acts as the limiting factor during neurotrans-mission under high-frequency sustained stimulation. In order to investigate this question, we introduce a novel non-linear reaction network which involves explicit recovery steps for both the vesicles and the release sites, and includes the induced time-dependent output current. The associated reaction dynamics are formulated by means of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), as well as via the associated stochastic jump process. While the stochastic jump model describes a single release site, the average over many release sites is close to the ODE solution and shares its periodic structure. The reason for this can be traced back to the insight that recovery dynamics of vesicles and release sites are statistically almost independent. A sensitivity analysis on the recovery rates based on the ODE formulation reveals that neither the vesicle nor the release site recovery step can be identified as the essential rate-limiting step but that the rate- limiting feature changes over the course of stimulation. Under sustained stimulation the dynamics given by the ODEs exhibit transient dynamics leading from an initial depression of the postsynaptic response to an asymptotic periodic orbit, while the individual trajectories of the stochastic jump model lack the oscillatory behavior an asymptotic periodicity of the ODE-solution. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mbs.2023.109023 VL - 362 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Straube, Arthur A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie A1 - Höfling, Felix T1 - Accurate reduced models for the pH oscillations in the urea-urease reaction confined to giant lipid vesicles JF - The Journal of Physical Chemistry B N2 - This theoretical study concerns a pH oscillator based on the urea-urease reaction confined to giant lipid vesicles. Under suitable conditions, differential transport of urea and hydrogen ion across the unilamellar vesicle membrane periodically resets the pH clock that switches the system from acid to basic, resulting in self-sustained oscillations. We analyse the structure of the phase flow and of the limit cycle, which controls the dynamics for giant vesicles and dominates the pronouncedly stochastic oscillations in small vesicles of submicrometer size. To this end, we derive reduced models, which are amenable to analytic treatments that are complemented by numerical solutions, and obtain the period and amplitude of the oscillations as well as the parameter domain, where oscillatory behavior persists. We show that the accuracy of these predictions is highly sensitive to the employed reduction scheme. In particular, we suggest an accurate two-variable model and show its equivalence to a three-variable model that admits an interpretation in terms of a chemical reaction network. The faithful modeling of a single pH oscillator appears crucial for rationalizing experiments and understanding communication of vesicles and synchronization of rhythms. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c09092 VL - 127 IS - 13 SP - 2955 EP - 2967 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Straube, Arthur A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie A1 - Höfling, Felix T1 - Accurate reduced models for the pH oscillations in the urea-urease reaction confined to giant lipid vesicles N2 - Our theoretical study concerns an urea-urease-based pH oscillator confined to giant lipid vesicles. Under suitable conditions, differential transport of urea and hydrogen ion across the unilamellar vesicle membrane periodically resets the pH clock that switches the system from acid to basic, resulting in self-sustained oscillations. We analyse the structure of the limit cycle, which controls the dynamics for giant vesicles and dominates the strongly stochastic oscillations in small vesicles of submicrometer size. To this end, we derive reduced models, amenable to analytic treatments, and show that the accuracy of predictions, including the period of oscillations, is highly sensitive to the choice of the reduction scheme. In particular, we suggest an accurate two-variable model and show its equivalence to a three-variable model that admits an interpretation in terms of a chemical reaction network. The accurate description of a single pH oscillator appears crucial for rationalizing experiments and understanding communication of vesicles and synchronization of rhythms. T3 - ZIB-Report - 22-21 Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-88179 SN - 1438-0064 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - del Razo, Mauricio A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie A1 - Klein, Rupert A1 - Höfling, Felix T1 - Chemical diffusion master equation: formulations of reaction-diffusion processes on the molecular level JF - Journal of Mathematical Physics N2 - The chemical diffusion master equation (CDME) describes the probabilistic dynamics of reaction--diffusion systems at the molecular level [del Razo et al., Lett. Math. Phys. 112:49, 2022]; it can be considered the master equation for reaction--diffusion processes. The CDME consists of an infinite ordered family of Fokker--Planck equations, where each level of the ordered family corresponds to a certain number of particles and each particle represents a molecule. The equations at each level describe the spatial diffusion of the corresponding set of particles, and they are coupled to each other via reaction operators --linear operators representing chemical reactions. These operators change the number of particles in the system, and thus transport probability between different levels in the family. In this work, we present three approaches to formulate the CDME and show the relations between them. We further deduce the non-trivial combinatorial factors contained in the reaction operators, and we elucidate the relation to the original formulation of the CDME, which is based on creation and annihilation operators acting on many-particle probability density functions. Finally we discuss applications to multiscale simulations of biochemical systems among other future prospects. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0129620 VL - 64 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lücke, Marvin A1 - Heitzig, Jobst A1 - Koltai, Péter A1 - Molkethin, Nora A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie T1 - Large population limits of Markov processes on random networks JF - Stochastic Processes and their Applications N2 - We consider time-continuous Markovian discrete-state dynamics on random networks of interacting agents and study the large population limit. The dynamics are projected onto low-dimensional collective variables given by the shares of each discrete state in the system, or in certain subsystems, and general conditions for the convergence of the collective variable dynamics to a mean-field ordinary differential equation are proved. We discuss the convergence to this mean-field limit for a continuous-time noisy version of the so-called "voter model" on Erdős-Rényi random graphs, on the stochastic block model, as well as on random regular graphs. Moreover, a heterogeneous population of agents is studied. For each of these types of interaction networks, we specify the convergence conditions in dependency on the corresponding model parameters. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spa.2023.09.007 VL - 166 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Steudle, Gesine A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie A1 - Fürst, Steffen A1 - Wolf, Sarah T1 - Understanding Memory Mechanisms in Socio-Technical Systems: the Case of an Agent-based Mobility Model JF - Advances in Complex Systems N2 - This paper explores memory mechanisms in complex socio-technical systems, using a mobility demand model as an example case. We simplified a large-scale agent-based mobility model into a Markov process and discover that the mobility decision process is non-Markovian. This is due to its dependence on the system’s history, including social structure and local infrastructure, which evolve based on prior mobility decisions. To make the process Markovian, we extend the state space by incorporating two history-dependent components. Although our model is a very much reduced version of the original one, it remains too complex for the application of usual analytic methods. Instead, we employ simulations to examine the functionalities of the two history-dependent components. We think that the structure of the analyzed stochastic process is exemplary for many socio-technical, -economic, -ecological systems. Additionally, it exhibits analogies with the framework of extended evolution, which has previously been used to study cultural evolution. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1142/S0219525924400034 VL - 27 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Boltz, Horst-Holger A1 - Sirbu, Alexei A1 - Stelzer, Nina A1 - de Lanerolle, Primal A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie A1 - Annibale, Paolo T1 - The Impact of Membrane Protein Diffusion on GPCR Signaling JF - Cells N2 - Spatiotemporal signal shaping in G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling is now a well-established and accepted notion to explain how signaling specificity can be achieved by a superfamily sharing only a handful of downstream second messengers. Dozens of Gs-coupled GPCR signals ultimately converge on the production of cAMP, a ubiquitous second messenger. This idea is almost always framed in terms of local concentrations, the differences in which are maintained by means of spatial separation. However, given the dynamic nature of the reaction-diffusion processes at hand, the dynamics, in particular the local diffusional properties of the receptors and their cognate G proteins, are also important. By combining some first principle considerations, simulated data, and experimental data of the receptors diffusing on the membranes of living cells, we offer a short perspective on the modulatory role of local membrane diffusion in regulating GPCR-mediated cell signaling. Our analysis points to a diffusion-limited regime where the effective production rate of activated G protein scales linearly with the receptor–G protein complex’s relative diffusion rate and to an interesting role played by the membrane geometry in modulating the efficiency of coupling Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11101660 VL - 11 IS - 10 SP - 1660 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Engel, Maximilian A1 - Olicón-Méndez, Guillermo A1 - Wehlitz, Nathalie A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie T1 - Synchronization and random attractors in reaction jump processes JF - Journal of Dynamics and Differential Equations N2 - This work explores a synchronization-like phenomenon induced by common noise for continuous-time Markov jump processes given by chemical reaction networks. Based on Gillespie’s stochastic simulation algorithm, a corresponding random dynamical system is formulated in a two-step procedure, at first for the states of the embedded discrete-time Markov chain and then for the augmented Markov chain including random jump times. We uncover a time-shifted synchronization in the sense that—after some initial waiting time—one trajectory exactly replicates another one with a certain time delay. Whether or not such a synchronization behavior occurs depends on the combination of the initial states. We prove this partial time-shifted synchronization for the special setting of a birth-death process by analyzing the corresponding two-point motion of the embedded Markov chain and determine the structure of the associated random attractor. In this context, we also provide general results on existence and form of random attractors for discrete-time, discrete-space random dynamical systems. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10884-023-10345-4 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lücke, Marvin A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie A1 - Koltai, Peter T1 - Accurate mean-field equation for voter model dynamics on scale-free networks JF - Physical Review E N2 - Understanding the emergent macroscopic behavior of dynamical systems on networks is a crucial but challenging task. One of the simplest and most effective methods to construct a reduced macroscopic model is given by mean-field theory. The resulting approximations perform well on dense and homogeneous networks but poorly on scale-free networks, which, however, are more realistic in many applications. In this paper, we introduce a modified version of the mean-field approximation for voter model dynamics on scale-free networks. The two main deviations from classical theory are that we use degree-weighted shares as coarse variables and that we introduce a correlation factor that can be interpreted as slowing down dynamics induced by interactions. We observe that the correlation factor is only a property of the network and not of the state or of parameters of the process. This approach achieves a significantly smaller approximation error than standard methods without increasing dimensionality. Y1 - 2026 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1103/vkpx-5cvt VL - 113 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wehlitz, Nathalie A1 - Pavliotis, Grigorios A1 - Schütte, Christof A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie T1 - Data-driven Reduction of Transfer Operators for Particle Clustering Dynamics N2 - We develop an operator-based framework to coarse-grain interacting particle systems that exhibit clustering dynamics. Starting from the particle-based transfer operator, we first construct a sequence of reduced representations: the operator is projected onto concentrations and then further reduced by representing the concentration dynamics on a geometric low-dimensional manifold and an adapted finite-state discretization. The resulting coarse-grained transfer operator is finally estimated from dynamical simulation data by inferring the transition probabilities between the Markov states. Applied to systems with multichromatic and Morse interaction potentials, the reduced model reproduces key features of the clustering process, including transitions between cluster configurations and the emergence of metastable states. Spectral analysis and transition-path analysis of the estimated operator reveal implied time scales and dominant transition pathways, providing an interpretable and efficient description of particle-clustering dynamics. Y1 - 2026 ER -