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A model for cell motility on soft bio-adhesive substrates.

Alireza S Sarvestani¹

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, 5711 Boardman Hall, Room 206, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5711, USA. alireza.sarvestani@umit.maine.edu

Journal of Biomechanics

|November 26, 2010

Summary

Cell motility speed depends on substrate stiffness. A physical model shows cell crawling is regulated by actomyosin forces responding to substrate deformation, explaining observed cell locomotion behaviors on varying elastic materials.

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Area of Science:

Biophysics
Cell Biology
Mechanobiology

Background:

The mechanical stiffness of bio-adhesive substrates significantly influences cell motility.
Understanding how cells sense and respond to substrate rigidity is crucial for cell biology and tissue engineering.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a simple physical model for studying contractile cell crawling locomotion on soft elastic substrates.
To investigate the mechanism of rigidity sensing in cell motility using Schwarz's two-spring model.
To elucidate the relationship between substrate stiffness and cell speed.

Main Methods:

Development of a simple physical model incorporating Schwarz's two-spring model for rigidity sensing.
Analysis of cell locomotion dynamics on elastic substrates with varying mechanical stiffness.
Theoretical prediction of the dependency between cell motility speed and substrate stiffness.

Main Results:

The model predicts a qualitative consistency between motility speed and substrate stiffness, aligning with experimental data.
Cell motility is fundamentally regulated by actomyosin contractile forces responding to substrate deformation at anchorage points.
On stiffer substrates, increased traction force magnitude but weaker asymmetry leads to slower cell motility.
A biphasic relationship between substrate rigidity and locomotion speed is predicted on very soft substrates, matching experimental findings for certain cell types.

Conclusions:

The physical model successfully explains rigidity-dependent cell motility.
Substrate deformation and the resulting regulation of actomyosin forces are key drivers of cell locomotion speed.
The model provides insights into the complex interplay between cell mechanics and substrate properties.