Minimal Model of Cellular Symmetry Breaking
Alexander Mietke1,2,3,4, V Jemseena5, K Vijay Kumar5
1Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany.
Physical Review Letters
|November 26, 2019
Summary
A minimal model explains how cell cortex self-organization drives cellular symmetry breaking. This active material model shows spontaneous polarization and contractile ring formation via hydrodynamic instabilities.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
- Theoretical Biology
Background:
- The cell cortex, an active layer beneath the cell membrane, is crucial for cell symmetry breaking.
- Processes like cell polarity and division rely on cell cortex functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a minimal model for cell cortex self-organization.
- To investigate pattern formation and instabilities in active curved surfaces.
Main Methods:
- Hydrodynamic theory of curved active surfaces.
- Modeling active stresses regulated by a diffusing molecular species.
- Coupling the active surface to a passive bulk fluid.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated spontaneous cell polarization.
- Showed the formation of a contractile ring via mechanochemical instabilities.
- Explored the influence of external fields on pattern formation.
Conclusions:
- Key features of cellular symmetry breaking and division emerge from a minimal model.
- Dynamic instabilities in active surfaces drive essential cellular processes.
More Related Videos
07:59Author Spotlight: Alignment of Synchronized Time-Series Data Using the Characterizing Loss of Cell Cycle Synchrony Model for Cross-Experiment Comparisons
Published on: June 9, 2023
1.8K
15:41Improved Visualization and Quantitative Analysis of Drug Effects Using Micropatterned Cells
Published on: December 2, 2010
17.9K
Related Concept Videos
02:13Determining the Plane of Cell Division
3.8K
Positioning the cell division plane is a critical step during development and cell differentiation, particularly during mitosis when the plane is essential for determining the size of the two daughter cells. The cell division plane is perpendicular to the plane of chromosome segregation, but different types of organisms have different cell division mechanisms to suit their morphology and function.
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division...
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division...
3.8K
01:28Symmetry in Maxwell's Equations
4.1K
Once the fields have been calculated using Maxwell's four equations, the Lorentz force equation gives the force that the fields exert on a charged particle moving with a certain velocity. The Lorentz force equation combines the force of the electric field and of the magnetic field on the moving charge. Maxwell's equations and the Lorentz force law together encompass all the laws of electricity and magnetism. The symmetry that Maxwell introduced into his mathematical framework may not be...
4.1K
01:16Cell Motility through Blebbing
2.4K
Blebs are a type of membrane protrusion formed by the internal hydrostatic pressure of the cytoplasm. Blebs are observed in several cell types, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and single-celled organisms like the amoeba. The primary function of blebs is cell locomotion and apoptosis, but they are also found during necrosis and cell division. The life cycle of a bleb comprises an initiation phase followed by the expansion and retraction phases.
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
2.4K
01:16Eccentric Axial Loading in a Plane of Symmetry
503
Eccentric axial loading occurs when an axial load is applied away from the centroidal axis of a structural member. This scenario is common in engineering, where structural elements may not be directly aligned due to various design or functional requirements.
503
01:27Gauss's Law: Planar Symmetry
9.2K
A planar symmetry of charge density is obtained when charges are uniformly spread over a large flat surface. In planar symmetry, all points in a plane parallel to the plane of charge are identical with respect to the charges. Suppose the plane of the charge distribution is the xy-plane, and the electric field at a space point P with coordinates (x, y, z) is to be determined. Since the charge density is the same at all (x, y) - coordinates in the z = 0 plane, by symmetry, the electric field at P...
9.2K
01:18Polarity of the Cytoskeleton
24.1K
The intrinsic polarity of cells can be primarily attributed to two factors- i) the asymmetric accumulation of mobile components such are regulatory molecules and subcellular components across the cell and ii) the orientation of polar cytoskeletal filaments that make up the cytoskeletal networks, specifically microfilaments, and microtubules arranged along the axis of polarity. Interactions between the cytoskeletal filaments are crucial for the establishment and maintenance of the polar nature...
24.1K