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Using Linear Agarose Channels to Study Drosophila Larval Crawling Behavior
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Crawling in a Fluid.

Alexander Farutin1, Jocelyn Étienne1, Chaouqi Misbah1

  • 1Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, F-38000 Grenoble, France.

Physical Review Letters
|October 2, 2019
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mammalian cells can swim in fluids. This study models cell motility by coupling actin and myosin dynamics to fluid flow, revealing bifurcations and polarity oscillations that drive cell movement.

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Area of Science:

  • Cellular dynamics and biomechanics
  • Biophysics of cell motility
  • Theoretical cell biology

Background:

  • Mammalian cells exhibit motility on surfaces and in suspension.
  • Understanding the mechanisms of cell swimming is crucial for various biological processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanisms governing the onset of cell motility in suspension.
  • To develop a theoretical model coupling cellular components with fluid dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • A theoretical model was developed, coupling actin and myosin kinetics to fluid flow.
  • The model was solved analytically for a spherical cell shape.
  • Bifurcation analysis and Hopf bifurcation were employed to study transitions to motility.

Main Results:

  • Analytical solutions revealed super- and subcritical bifurcations from nonmotile to motile states.
  • Spontaneous polarity oscillations were identified, arising from a Hopf bifurcation.
  • The swimming speed was expressed in terms of key model parameters.

Conclusions:

  • The model provides insights into the fundamental mechanisms of cell swimming.
  • Actin-myosin dynamics and fluid flow interactions are key drivers of cell motility.
  • Non-spherical cell shapes may exhibit complex and interesting motility patterns.