Self-organised patterning in Dictyostelium group migration #

Giulia Celora, Hugh Ford, Mohit Dalwadi, Benjamin Walker, Jonathan Chubb, Philip Pearce

15:50 Monday in 2Q49.

Part of the Dynamics of reaction-transport systems session.

Abstract #

Dictyostelium amoeba are widely studied for their collective cell migration. These cells can aggregate together and move as a cohesive multicellular structure (or swarm) in response to chemical signals, such as nutrition. In this work, we use state-of-the-art imaging to visualise the complex spatio-temporal evolution of Dictyostelium cell swarms as they feed on a population of bacteria. Surprisingly, we observe that as the swarms move collectively, they periodically shed groups of cells at the rear. By representing the cell swarm as an active droplet, we have developed a novel continuum mathematical model to understand the biophysical mechanisms that drive the experimentally observed shedding dynamics. The model suggests that self-organised shedding is driven by the interplay between feeding, active movement and proliferation of cells, and an emergent surface tension. Our work reveals a novel mechanism for self-organised pattern formation in biological systems.