Regensburg 2025 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 20: Statistical Physics of Biological Systems I (joint session BP/DY)

BP 20.7: Talk

Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 17:00–17:15, H44

Modelling neuron growth dynamics and role of extra-cellular matrix — •Pritha Dolai, Federica Furlanetto, Sven Falk, Marisa Karow, and Vasily Zaburdaev — Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen

Biological tissues are composed of cells embedded in extracellular matrix (ECM) and extracellular fluid. We study the role of cell-matrix interactions in the context of brain tissues and the mechanism of neuron growth through this matrix. We consider two modes for the neurite growth: linear growth by tip extension and growth by the traction force at the tip of the neurite with the ECM. In the second mechanism, growth happens solely due to the interaction of the growing appendages with the particles modeling the matrix. With an agent based model we recapitulate experimentally observed neuron growth patterns in healthy neurons and neurons with mutations corresponding to a disease state performed in organoid models. In experiments, neuron growth is quantified by the dynamics of the growing tips. Additionally we compare further growth characteristics such as track length and velocity of the tip, tortuosity, and angular correlation of growth direction. Our model provides mechanistic description of the neurite growth and can be useful in describing neuronal network formation during early development.

Keywords: Neuron growth; Traction force; Cell-matrix interactions; Growth cone; Neuronal network