Segregation in binary mixture with differential contraction among active rings

TL;DR

This paper models how differential contraction in active particle rings causes segregation, revealing a fusion-diffusion process and a decay exponent close to -1/3, differing from previous predictions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel model demonstrating segregation driven solely by differential contraction, with activity acting as an effective temperature, and analyzes the decay exponent of segregation.

Findings

Segregation arises from differential membrane contraction.

Activity acts as an effective temperature in the model.

Decay exponent of segregation parameter is approximately -1/3.

Abstract

Cell cortex contraction is essential for shaping cells, enabling movement, ensuring proper division, maintaining tissue integrity, guiding development, and responding to mechanical signals - all critical for the life and health of multicellular organisms. Differential contractions in cell membranes, particularly when cells of different types interact, play a crucial role in the emergence of segregation. In this study, we introduce a model where rings composed of active particles interact through differential membrane contraction within a specified cutoff distance. We demonstrate that segregation arises solely from differential contraction, with the activity of the rings functioning similarly to an effective temperature. Additionally, we observed that segregation involves cluster fusion-diffusion process. However, the decay exponent of the segregation parameter we found is close to $\lambda \sim -1/3$, which differs from the $\lambda \sim -1/4$ predicted by previous theoretical approaches and simulations.