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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 36: Cell adhesion, mechanics and migration II

BP 36.10: Vortrag

Mittwoch, 18. März 2015, 17:45–18:00, H 1058

Migration patterns of dendritic cells in response to chemokines — •Veronika Bierbaum, Jan Schwarz, Eva Kiermaier, Michael Sixt, and Tobias Bollenbach — IST AUSTRIA, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg

Dendritic cells are key components of the adaptive immune system. They navigate through tissues by sensing two different chemokines, CCL19 and CCL21. We develop a physical description of dendritic cell migration as a function of the surrounding chemokine field formed by both immobilized and soluble chemokines. We perform in vitro assays to characterize key properties of cell motion. In these assays, cells are exposed to well-controlled concentration profiles of the two chemokines. We monitor the gradients and the cellular motion using time-lapse microscopy and obtain a large number of cell trajectories. These trajectories are well captured by Langevin equations, enabling us to separate the stochastic and deterministic contributions to cell motion. In soluble gradients of CCL19 and CCL21, dendritic cells maintain their directionality towards the chemokine source over a large range of concentrations. However, in linear and exponential gradients of immobilized CCL21 the cells' directionality depends on chemokine concentration and is maximal at low concentrations. To rationalize these observations we develop a theoretical model of chemokine signal detection and interpretation. This experimental-theoretical approach can reveal general principles of cell migration in response to chemokines.