Receptor Organization Determines the Limits of Single-Cell Source Location Detection

Area of Science:

• Cell biology
• Biophysics
• Statistical mechanics

Background:

• Cells must locate external stimuli using diffusing signaling molecules.
• Cell-surface receptor organization is crucial for stimulus detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how receptor number and spatial configuration affect a cell's ability to infer stimulus source location.
• To quantify the role of receptor organization in single-cell source inference.

Main Methods:

• Asymptotic analysis applied to a spherical cell model.
• Computation of splitting probabilities between individual receptors.
• Formulation of an information-theoretic framework.

Main Results:

• Receptor organization critically influences the limit of source localization.
• Clustered receptor configurations improve detection of aligned sources.
• A multiscale mechanism for single-cell source inference is suggested.

Conclusions:

• Spatial arrangement of cell-surface receptors is a key determinant of stimulus localization accuracy.
• Clustering offers a strategic advantage for detecting directional cues.
• Findings provide insights into cellular sensing mechanisms.