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Multiscale modelling of motility wave propagation in cell migration
Hamid Khataee1, Andras Czirok2,3, Zoltan Neufeld4
1School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia. h.khataee@uq.edu.au.
Scientific Reports
|May 20, 2020
Summary
Cellular properties, like cortical contractility, influence collective cell migration waves. Less contractile cells form swirling patterns, while more contractile cells may slow migration and destabilize the leading edge.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Collective cell migration is crucial for tissue development, repair, and disease.
- Motility waves initiate at the monolayer's edge and propagate inward.
- The impact of cellular properties on this wave propagation remains poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how cellular properties regulate collective cell migration waves.
- To explore the role of intracellular polarization dynamics in wave propagation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a computational model combining the Potts model with intracellular polarization dynamics.
- Simulated cell monolayer behavior under varying cellular mechanical properties.
Main Results:
- Cellular cortical contractility influences migration modes, leading to monolayer depolarization or swirling movements.
- Increased cortical contractility decelerates wave speed and leading edge progression.
- Higher contractility destabilizes the monolayer's leading edge.
Conclusions:
- Cellular mechanical properties, particularly cortical contractility, are key regulators of collective cell migration.
- The model provides insights into how cell-intrinsic factors govern tissue-level dynamics.
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