Chemical and Mechanical Signaling in Epithelial Spreading

TL;DR

This paper introduces a minimal mathematical model explaining how chemical and mechanical signals coordinate epithelial cell spreading, reproducing experimental activation waves and distinguishing different dynamical patterns under various conditions.

Contribution

It presents a novel chemo-mechanical model that captures long-range cell coordination and reproduces observed experimental phenomena in epithelial spreading.

Findings

Reproduces two activation waves on different time scales.

Distinguishes between injury and unconstraining conditions.

Shows kinase concentration distribution and cell displacement patterns.

Abstract

We propose a minimal mathematical model to explain long-range coordination of dynamics of multiple cells in epithelial spreading, which may be induced, under different conditions, by a chemical signal, or mechanical stress, or both. The model is based on chemo-mechanical interactions including a chemical effect of stress and concentration-dependent traction. The results, showing kinase concentration distribution and cell displacement, allow us to reproduce two activation waves on different time scales observed in the experiment, and distinguish between distinct dynamical patterns observed under conditions of injury or unconstraining.