Speaker: Prof. Alex Mogilner
From: Department of Mathematics and Center for Genetics and Development - U of C, Davis, CA
Date / Time / Room: Tuesday, October 12, 2004 / 4:00 PM / 155 DeBartolo Hall

Title: Computational Models of Migrating Keratocyte Cells

Abstract: Crawling of animal cells is based on three coupled mechanisms: protrusion of the leading edge, graded adhesion to the surface and contraction of the cytoskeleton. It is also regulated by a rapid turnover of actin. In order to elucidate basic principles of mechanochemistry of the cell movements, we develop a computational model of migrating fish keratocyte cells. These flat, simple shaped cells move rapidly, smoothly and persistently; they are arguably the simplest cell motility modeling system.

The model consists of few 'modules':(i) polymerization ratchet model of protrusion, (ii) dynamic actin-myosin contraction model, (iii) dendritic-nucleation actin turnover model. We combine these models and simulate the cell as a 2-D domain with a free boundary using finite elements.

The simulations reproduce the observed shapes and movements of the keratocyte cells and predict F-actin and G-actin densities.Comparing the computational and experimental results allows us to suggest the dynamic principles of spatio-temporal organization of cell movements and forces.