Simple model of cell crawling

TL;DR

This paper presents a phenomenological two-dimensional model of cell crawling that captures both stationary and oscillatory migration behaviors through shape deformation dynamics influenced by forces, applicable to different cell types.

Contribution

It introduces a flexible, coarse-grained model based on symmetry considerations that explains diverse cell motility patterns and identifies key factors for cell-specific behaviors.

Findings

Stationary and oscillatory migration modes are explained.

Time-dependent forces via coherence resonance induce complex dynamics.

Model applies to different cell types like keratocytes and Dictyostelium.

Abstract

Based on symmetry consideration of migration and shape deformations, we formulate phenomenologically the dynamics of cell crawling in two dimensions. Forces are introduced to change the cell shape. The shape deformations induce migration of the cell on a substrate. For time-independent forces we show that not only a stationary motion but also a limit cycle oscillation of the migration velocity and the shape occurs as a result of nonlinear coupling between different deformation modes. Time-dependent forces are generated in a stochastic manner by utilizing the so-called coherence resonance of an excitable system. The present coarse-grained model has a flexibility that it can be applied, e.g., both to keratocyte cells and to Dictyostelium cells, which exhibit quite different dynamics from each other. The key factors for the motile behavior inherent in each cell type are identified in our model.