A receptor-electromigration-based model for cellular electrotactic sensing and migration.

Directed cell migration in tissues mediates various physiological processes and is guided by complex cellular factors such as chemoattractant gradients and electric fields. Direct current (DC) electric fields can be generated in physiological settings and the electric field guided migration of various cell types (i.e., electrotaxis) has been demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. Although several mechanisms have been proposed for electrotaxis, there are so far very few quantitative models. Furthermore, because chemoattractant gradients and electric fields co-exist in tissues, it is important to understand how chemotaxis and electrotaxis interact for mediating cell migration and trafficking. In this study, we developed a mathematical model to investigate the role of electromigration of cell surface chemoattractant receptors in mediating electrochemical sensing and migration of cells. Our results show that electromigration of chemoattractant receptors enables cell electrotactic sensing and migration in the presence of a uniform chemoattractant field. Furthermore, in the physiologically-relevant range of receptor electromigration rates, application of electric fields overcomes chemical guiding signals for directional sensing and migration of cells in co-existing competing electric fields and chemoattractant gradients.