Cell migration with multiple pseudopodia: temporal and spatial sensing models

Abstract

Cell migration triggered by pseudopodia (or "false feet") is the most used method of locomotion. A 3D finite element model of a cell migrating over a 2D substrate is proposed, with a particular focus on the mechanical aspects of the biological phenomenon. The decomposition of the deformation gradient is used to reproduce the cyclic phases of protrusion and contraction of the cell, which are tightly synchronized with the adhesion forces at the back and at the front of the cell, respectively. First, a steady active deformation is considered to show the ability of the cell to simultaneously initiate multiple pseudopodia. Here, randomness is considered as a key aspect, which controls both the direction and the amplitude of the false feet. Second, the migration process is described through two different strategies: the temporal and the spatial sensing models. In the temporal model, the cell "sniffs" the surroundings by extending several pseudopodia and only the one that receives a positive input will become the new leading edge, while the others retract. In the spatial model instead, the cell senses the external sources at different spots of the membrane and only protrudes one pseudopod in the direction of the most attractive one.