Figure 13.

Temporal synchronization of an LRd strand with distinct autorhythmic cycle lengths. (A) Diagram of strand. F_IK1 = 0.8 for cells 1–14, F_IK1 = 0 for cell 15, and F_IK1 = 0.75 for cells 16–29. Cleft width w = 8 nm for all cells. (B) Lateral transmembrane voltages V_i for cells 14, 15, and 16, demonstrating that cells 14 and 16 are autorhythmic with shared clefts at different cycle lengths. When F_IK1 = 0.8 on the left side of the cell and 0.75 on the right side (dashed trace) are changed to initiate cleft coupling at the boundary of the two strands, cell 15 becomes autorhythmic. (C) The autorhythmic cycle length (CL) of cells 1–14 in blue is shorter than cells 16–29 until cleft coupling is initiated. After one to three beats, cell 15 and cells 16–28 entrain with cells 1–14 at a cycle length very close to the intrinsic cycle lengths of cells 1–14.