Competing aggregation and iso-density equilibrium lead to band pattern formation in density gradients

Fuente: arXiv
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Hauptverfasser: Maurer, Felix, Romero, Camila, Lerch, Nikolas, John, Thomas, Kaestner, Lars, Wagner, Christian, Darras, Alexis
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2024
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author Maurer, Felix
Romero, Camila
Lerch, Nikolas
John, Thomas
Kaestner, Lars
Wagner, Christian
Darras, Alexis
author_facet Maurer, Felix
Romero, Camila
Lerch, Nikolas
John, Thomas
Kaestner, Lars
Wagner, Christian
Darras, Alexis
contents Centrifugation of biological matter in density gradient solutions is a standard method for separating cell types or components. It is also used to separate red blood cells (RBCs) by age, as they lose water and become denser over their lifespan. When the density gradient is prepared with Percoll, discrete bands of RBCs are systematically observed along the gradient, despite the continuous density distribution of RBCs. Early studies suggested that cell aggregation might influence spatial distribution, but it remains debated whether a continuous density population can form discrete bands. We developed a continuity equation incorporating cell aggregation to describe the macroscopic evolution of RBC volume fraction in a density gradient, considering a continuous RBC density distribution. Numerical solutions demonstrate that the competition between isodensity distribution and aggregation is sufficient to create band patterns. Our model reproduces the temporal evolution observed in experiments, but also predicts several types of bifurcation-like behaviors for the steady-state patterns in constant gradients, depending on RBC volume fraction and aggregation energy. This demonstrates that the competition between RBC aggregation and iso-density distribution is a novel mechanism driving pattern formation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2407_07676
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Competing aggregation and iso-density equilibrium lead to band pattern formation in density gradients
Maurer, Felix
Romero, Camila
Lerch, Nikolas
John, Thomas
Kaestner, Lars
Wagner, Christian
Darras, Alexis
Soft Condensed Matter
Adaptation and Self-Organizing Systems
Centrifugation of biological matter in density gradient solutions is a standard method for separating cell types or components. It is also used to separate red blood cells (RBCs) by age, as they lose water and become denser over their lifespan. When the density gradient is prepared with Percoll, discrete bands of RBCs are systematically observed along the gradient, despite the continuous density distribution of RBCs. Early studies suggested that cell aggregation might influence spatial distribution, but it remains debated whether a continuous density population can form discrete bands. We developed a continuity equation incorporating cell aggregation to describe the macroscopic evolution of RBC volume fraction in a density gradient, considering a continuous RBC density distribution. Numerical solutions demonstrate that the competition between isodensity distribution and aggregation is sufficient to create band patterns. Our model reproduces the temporal evolution observed in experiments, but also predicts several types of bifurcation-like behaviors for the steady-state patterns in constant gradients, depending on RBC volume fraction and aggregation energy. This demonstrates that the competition between RBC aggregation and iso-density distribution is a novel mechanism driving pattern formation.
title Competing aggregation and iso-density equilibrium lead to band pattern formation in density gradients
topic Soft Condensed Matter
Adaptation and Self-Organizing Systems
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.07676