9 research outputs found
Elastic interactions of active cells with soft materials
Anchorage-dependent cells collect information on the mechanical properties of
the environment through their contractile machineries and use this information
to position and orient themselves. Since the probing process is anisotropic,
cellular force patterns during active mechanosensing can be modelled as
anisotropic force contraction dipoles. Their build-up depends on the mechanical
properties of the environment, including elastic rigidity and prestrain. In a
finite sized sample, it also depends on sample geometry and boundary conditions
through image strain fields. We discuss the interactions of active cells with
an elastic environment and compare it to the case of physical force dipoles.
Despite marked differences, both cases can be described in the same theoretical
framework. We exactly solve the elastic equations for anisotropic force
contraction dipoles in different geometries (full space, halfspace and sphere)
and with different boundary conditions. These results are then used to predict
optimal position and orientation of mechanosensing cells in soft material.Comment: Revtex, 38 pages, 8 Postscript files included; revised version,
accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.