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Internal cohesion gradient as a novel mechanism of collective cell migration

Fig 5

Stochastic extension of outermost cells – (a) For stochastic extension distances (red arrows) that are short compared with the distance to the nearest cell, inward and outward motions are equally probable.

Dashed lines indicate mean extension distances, , where σ is the standard deviation of a Gaussian governing extension probabilities, shown to the right. (b) Extensions cannot reach beyond a neighboring cell a distance ∆ away, so as extension distances grow (or distances between neighbors shrink), extension probabilities will be truncated, as shown in blue. Consequently, the mean inward distance traveled by the outermost cell will become shorter than the mean outward distance. (c) In the presence of a cohesion gradient, the stronger cohesion end of a cluster will exhibit closer neighboring cells, and so will lead asymmetric migration of the cluster. The weaker cohesion end will exhibit more distant neighbors, and so will generate more symmetric, smaller displacement, migration.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012769.g005