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Area of Science:

  • Cellular mechanics
  • Biophysics
  • Cell migration

Background:

  • Recent experiments demonstrate cell migration in response to substrate curvature variations (curvotaxis).
  • The precise underlying mechanism of curvotaxis remains incompletely understood despite identifying key cellular factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanical mechanism driving cell migration on curved substrates.
  • To explain how intracellular components contribute to curvotaxis.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a detailed mechanical model of cell adhesion and migration.
  • Inclusion of cytoskeleton filament networks, cytosol viscosity, cell adhesion dynamics, and nucleus behavior.
  • Simulation of cell behavior on sinusoidal substrates.

Main Results:

  • Cell adhesion on 3D curvatures generates an internal pressure gradient.
  • This pressure gradient drives nucleus motion within the cell.
  • The nucleus's altered position influences cell migration directionality.

Conclusions:

  • A mechanical model explains how cells sense and respond to substrate curvature.
  • Intracellular mechanics, particularly nucleus dynamics, induce deterministic cell polarization.
  • This mechanism provides a basis for understanding how cells break their random walk behavior to exhibit directed migration towards lower energy states on curved surfaces.