Slow fluctuations shape cell signaling near a bifurcation in embryonic stem cells
Excitable and oscillatory responses are widespread in cell signaling, but how these arise in the same system is unclear. We propose a minimal model of a saddle node bifurcation on an invariant circle, where slow fluctuations modulate transitions between excitable and oscillatory states, and noise drives excitability. Fitting the model to cell signaling data from embryonic stem cells reveals that these cells operate close to the bifurcation. Proximity to the bifurcation allows the cell to tune different dynamic states, suggesting a general principle for versatile cell signaling.
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