Flowerday Erin, Evans Emily J, Grant Christopher, Dallon John C
Mathematics Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2025 May 28;20(5):e0325141. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0325141. eCollection 2025.
Cell sorting and differential motion are key processes in the life cycle of Dictyostelium discoideum (Dd) and many other organisms. Here we develop a mathematical model and investigate the processes with computer simulations. The slug stage of Dd is modeled with ellipsoidal cells of two types which have viscoelastic properties. Using the force-based model we find that when the two cell types have different strengths of motive forces and or different degrees of directionality one cell type sorts to the front of the slug. These findings are consistent with previously published results using a different model formation. When one cell type is more directed than the other it will consistently sort to the front of the slug. Likewise, but less efficiently, when one cell type exerts greater motive forces than the other it will sort to the front of the slug. The most efficient and robust cell sorting due to differential motion is when both methods are employed.
细胞分选和差异运动是盘基网柄菌（Dd）及许多其他生物体生命周期中的关键过程。在此，我们开发了一个数学模型，并通过计算机模拟对这些过程进行研究。Dd的蛞蝓体阶段用具有粘弹性特性的两种椭圆形细胞进行建模。使用基于力的模型，我们发现当两种细胞类型具有不同的动力强度和/或不同的方向性程度时，一种细胞类型会分选到蛞蝓体的前端。这些发现与之前使用不同模型形成方式发表的结果一致。当一种细胞类型比另一种更具方向性时，它将始终分选到蛞蝓体的前端。同样地，但效率较低的是，当一种细胞类型比另一种施加更大的动力时，它也会分选到蛞蝓体的前端。由于差异运动导致的最有效和最稳健的细胞分选是在同时采用这两种方法时。
