Regensburg 2016 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 37: Cell Mechanics and Migration

BP 37.10: Vortrag

Mittwoch, 9. März 2016, 12:30–12:45, H44

Membrane tension feedback on shape and motility in a phase field model for crawling cells — •Benjamin Winkler¹, Igor Aranson^2,3, and Falko Ziebert¹ — ¹Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, 79104 Freiburg, Germany — ²Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439, USA — ³Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60202, USA

In the framework of a 2D phase field model of a single cell crawling on a substrate, we investigate how specific properties of the cell membrane affect the shape and motility of the cell. The membrane influences the cell dynamics on multiple levels and we take into account: (i) the reduction of the actin polymerization rate by membrane tension; (ii) area conservation of the cell's two-dimensional cross-section vs. conservation of the circumference (related to membrane inextensibility); and (iii) the contribution from the membrane's bending energy to the shape and integrity of the cell. We find that the most important effect for freely moving cells is the feedback of membrane tension on the actin polymerization. Bending rigidity induces only minor effects, which can be made visible in dynamic reshaping events, as exemplified by modeling cells encountering obstacles and squeezing through channels.