Chemotaxis of branched cells in complex environments

Fuente: arXiv
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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Liu, Jiayi, Ron, Jonathan E., Rinaldi, Giulia, Williantarra, Ivanna, Georgantzoglou, Antonios, de Vries, Ingrid, Sixt, Michael, Sarris, Milka, Gov, Nir S.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Liu, Jiayi
Ron, Jonathan E.
Rinaldi, Giulia
Williantarra, Ivanna
Georgantzoglou, Antonios
de Vries, Ingrid
Sixt, Michael
Sarris, Milka
Gov, Nir S.
author_facet Liu, Jiayi
Ron, Jonathan E.
Rinaldi, Giulia
Williantarra, Ivanna
Georgantzoglou, Antonios
de Vries, Ingrid
Sixt, Michael
Sarris, Milka
Gov, Nir S.
contents Cell migration in vivo is often guided by chemical signals. Such chemotaxis, such as performed by immune cells migrating to a wound site, is complicated by the complex geometry inside living tissues. In this study, we extend our theoretical model of branched-cell migration on a network by introducing chemokine sources to explore the cellular response. The model predicts a speed-accuracy tradeoff, whereby slow cells are significantly more accurate and able to follow efficiently a weak chemoattractant signal. We then compare the model's predictions with experimental observations of neutrophils migrating to the site of laser-inflicted wound in a zebrafish larva fin, and migrating in-vitro inside a regular lattice of pillars. We find that the model captures the details of the sub-cellular response to the chemokine gradient, as well as the large-scale migration response. This comparison suggests that the neutrophils behave as fast cells, compromising their chemotaxis accuracy, which explains the functionality of these immune cells.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_21949
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Chemotaxis of branched cells in complex environments
Liu, Jiayi
Ron, Jonathan E.
Rinaldi, Giulia
Williantarra, Ivanna
Georgantzoglou, Antonios
de Vries, Ingrid
Sixt, Michael
Sarris, Milka
Gov, Nir S.
Biological Physics
Cell Behavior
Cell migration in vivo is often guided by chemical signals. Such chemotaxis, such as performed by immune cells migrating to a wound site, is complicated by the complex geometry inside living tissues. In this study, we extend our theoretical model of branched-cell migration on a network by introducing chemokine sources to explore the cellular response. The model predicts a speed-accuracy tradeoff, whereby slow cells are significantly more accurate and able to follow efficiently a weak chemoattractant signal. We then compare the model's predictions with experimental observations of neutrophils migrating to the site of laser-inflicted wound in a zebrafish larva fin, and migrating in-vitro inside a regular lattice of pillars. We find that the model captures the details of the sub-cellular response to the chemokine gradient, as well as the large-scale migration response. This comparison suggests that the neutrophils behave as fast cells, compromising their chemotaxis accuracy, which explains the functionality of these immune cells.
title Chemotaxis of branched cells in complex environments
topic Biological Physics
Cell Behavior
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.21949