Cell sorting based on motility differences

Abstract

Self-propelled particles are used to simulate cell aggregates in a model considering homogeneous adhesion forces between cells and using only motility differences as segregation drivers. The tendency of cells to follow their neighbors is also included in the formulation. Three model variants are explored, and the conditions on which motility differences may produce segregation are mapped in parameter diagrams. The evolution of the order parameter measuring cell segregation is similar to those found by models based on differential adhesion. It is also found that, considering only velocity differences, the faster cells envelope the slower ones, which is opposite to the ordering observed in early experiments by Jones and co-workers [Jones, Evans, and Lee, Exp.

A kinetic mechanism for cell sorting based on local variations in cell motility

“…The average of g i over all cells is the interface index g, which is a common measure for the degree of segregation in the system [7,14,15,26]. When g % 0 the two types of cells are completely segregated.…”

“…Current models of sorting assume some physical difference between cell types-either in the form of adhesion [12], cortical tension [3,13] or motility [14,15].…”

“…Rieu et al [9] . Previous mathematical and computational models [14,15,[28][29][30] have all focused on intrinsic motility differences. Unlike implementations of the differential adhesion hypothesis, the steady-state segregated configurations of motility-driven sorting are not written in a priori as the minimum of the systems Hamiltonian, but rather emerge from the kinetics at the level of individual cells.…”

Segregation mechanisms of tissue cells: from experimental data to models

“…Authors have found that segregation is characterized by algebraic scaling laws and introducing even a moderate amount of local coherent motion will considerably speed up the segregation process (Figure 8). A variant of this computational model is published by Beatrici et al (2011) investigating the segregation of self-propelled particles in 2 dimensions, driven by differences only in motility but not in adhesion. In this model, the faster cells envelope the slower cells forming islands as segregation proceeds.…”

Sorting Things Out: Cell Sorting during Hydra Regeneration

“…First, referred to here as ''differential adhesivity'', is a variant of the classic differential adhesion hypothesis that reflects relative differences in cell-cell adhesion/interfacial tensions between different cell types that make specific cell-cell arrangements more energetically favorable (4,5). The second hypothesis is known as ''differential motility'', and reflects relative differences in the active motion of endodermal and ectodermal cells during sorting (6,7). Before now, there have been data to support both hypotheses in Hydra and other, related sorting systems (3).…”