The Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, UK.
Soft Matter. 2022 Jun 29;18(25):4737-4746. doi: 10.1039/d2sm00537a.
It is increasingly being realized that liquid-crystalline features can play an important role in the properties and dynamics of cell monolayers. Here, we present a cell-based model of cell layers, based on the phase-field formulation, that connects cell-cell interactions specified at the single cell level to large-scale nematic and hydrodynamic properties of the tissue. In particular, we present a minimal formulation that reproduces the well-known bend and splay hydrodynamic instabilities of the continuum nemato-hydrodynamic formulation of active matter, together with an analytical description of the instability threshold in terms of activity and elasticity of the cells. Furthermore, we provide a quantitative characterisation and comparison of flows and topological defects for extensile and contractile stress generation mechanisms, and demonstrate activity-induced heterogeneity and spontaneous formation of gaps within a confluent monolayer. Together, these results contribute to bridging the gap between cell-scale dynamics and tissue-scale collective cellular organisation.
人们越来越意识到，液晶特征在细胞单层的性质和动力学中可以发挥重要作用。在这里，我们提出了一种基于相场表述的基于细胞的细胞层模型，将单细胞水平上指定的细胞-细胞相互作用与组织的大规模向列和流体动力学性质联系起来。特别是，我们提出了一种最小表述，再现了活性物质连续体向列-流体动力学表述中众所周知的弯曲和伸展流体动力学不稳定性，以及根据细胞的活性和弹性对不稳定性阈值的分析描述。此外，我们还对伸展和收缩应力产生机制的流动和拓扑缺陷进行了定量描述和比较，并证明了活性诱导的异质性和在连通单层中自发形成间隙。总之，这些结果有助于弥合细胞尺度动力学和组织尺度集体细胞组织之间的差距。
