PUBLICATION

Collective cell migration guided by dynamically maintained gradients

Authors
Streichan, S.J., Valentin, G., Gilmour, D., and Hufnagel, L.
ID
ZDB-PUB-110719-7
Date
2011
Source
Physical Biology   8(4): 045004 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Gilmour, Darren
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Algorithms
  • Animals
  • Chemotactic Factors/genetics
  • Chemotactic Factors/metabolism
  • Chemotaxis*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Models, Biological*
  • Organogenesis
  • Zebrafish/embryology*
  • Zebrafish/genetics
  • Zebrafish/metabolism
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism
PubMed
21750360 Full text @ Phys. Biol.
Abstract
How cell collectives move and deposit subunits within a developing embryo is a question of outstanding interest. In many cases, a chemotactic mechanism is employed, where cells move up or down a previously generated attractive or repulsive gradient of signalling molecules. Recent studies revealed the existence of systems with isotropic chemoattractant expression in the lateral line primordium of zebrafish. Here we propose a mechanism for a cell collective, which actively modulates an isotropically expressed ligand and encodes an initial symmetry breaking in its velocity. We derive a closed solution for the velocity and identify an optimal length that maximizes the tissues' velocity. A length dependent polar gradient is identified, its use for pro-neuromast deposition is shown by simulations and a critical time for cell deposition is derived. Experiments to verify this model are suggested.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping