Collective Signal Processing in Cluster Chemotaxis: Roles of Adaptation, Amplification, and Co-attraction in Collective Guidance

摘要: Single eukaryotic cells commonly sense and follow chemical gradients, performing chemotaxis. Recent experiments theories, however, show that even when single do not chemotax, clusters of may, if their interactions are regulated by the chemoattractant. We study this general mechanism "collective guidance" computationally with models integrate stochastic dynamics for individual biochemical reactions within cells, diffusion signals between cells. use well-known local excitation, global inhibition (LEGI) to chemoattractant speed cell cluster becomes non-monotonic in cluster's size-clusters either larger or smaller than an optimal size will have lower speed. argue is a crucial readout how processes chemotactic signals; both amplification adaptation alter behavior as function size. also that, contrary assumptions earlier collective guidance does require persistent cell-cell contacts strong short range adhesion. If adhesion absent, cohesion instead provided co-attraction mechanism, e.g. chemotaxis toward secreted molecule, may still function. However, new behaviors, such rotation, appear case. Co-attraction allow robust varying concentrations while requiring