Persistence-driven durotaxis: Generic, directed motility in rigidity gradients

Abstract

Cells move differently on substrates with different elasticities. In particular, the persistence time of their motion is higher on stiffer substrates. We show that this behavior will result in a net transport of cells directed up a soft-to-stiff gradient. Using simple random walk models with controlled persistence and stochastic simulations, we characterize this propensity to move in terms of the durotactic index measured in experiments. A one-dimensional model captures the essential features of this motion and highlights the competition between diffusive spreading and linear, wavelike propagation. Since the directed motion is rooted in a non-directional change in the behavior of individual cells, the motility is a kinesis rather than a taxis. Persistence-driven durokinesis is generic and may be of use in the design of instructive environments for cells and other motile, mechanosensitive objects.

arXiv comment5 pages, 4 figures

Cited by in corpus (12)

• Submersed Micropatterned Structures Control Active Nematic Flow, Topology and Concentration
• Topotaxis of active Brownian particles
• Phenomenlogical Modeling of Durotaxis
• Chiral Active Particles are Sensitive Reporter to Environmental Geometry
• Enhanced persistence and collective migration in cooperatively aligning cell clusters
• Random Walker Models for Durotaxis
• Shannon Entropy for Time-Varying Persistence of Cell Migration
• Deformability and collision-induced reorientation enhance cell topotaxis in dense microenvironments
• Collective Motility, Mechanical Waves, and Durotaxis in Cell Clusters
• Elastic interactions compete with persistent cell motility to drive durotaxis
• Run-and-tumble particle with saturating rates
• Anomalous particle diffusion influenced by angular heterogeneity