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Active Gel Model of Amoeboid Cell Motility
We develop a model of amoeboid cell motility based on active gel theory.
Modeling the motile apparatus of a eukaryotic cell as a confined layer of
finite length of poroelastic active gel permeated by a solvent, we first show
that, due to active stress and gel turnover, an initially static and
homogeneous layer can undergo a contractile-type instability to a polarized
moving state in which the rear is enriched in gel polymer. This agrees
qualitatively with motile cells containing an actomyosin-rich uropod at their
rear. We find that the gel layer settles into a steadily moving, inhomogeneous
state at long times, sustained by a balance between contractility and filament
turnover. In addition, our model predicts an optimal value of the
gel-susbstrate adhesion leading to maximum layer speed, in agreement with cell
motility assays. The model may be relevant to motility of cells translocating
in complex, confining environments that can be mimicked experimentally by cell
migration through microchannels.Comment: To appear in New Journal of Physic
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