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Emergence and Persistence of Collective Cell Migration on Small Circular Micropatterns

Felix J. Segerer, Florian Thüroff, Alicia Piera Alberola, Erwin Frey, and Joachim O. Rädler
Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 228102 – Published 2 June 2015
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Abstract

The spontaneous formation of vortices is a hallmark of collective cellular activity. Here, we study the onset and persistence of coherent angular motion as a function of the number of cells N confined in circular micropatterns. We find that the persistence of coherent angular motion increases with N but exhibits a pronounced discontinuity accompanied by a geometric rearrangement of cells to a configuration containing a central cell. Computer simulations based on a generalized Potts model reproduce the emergence of vortex states and show in agreement with experiment that their stability depends on the interplay of the spatial arrangement and internal polarization of neighboring cells. Hence, the distinct migrational states in finite size ensembles reveal significant insight into the local interaction rules guiding collective migration.

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  • Received 17 July 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.228102

© 2015 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Felix J. Segerer1, Florian Thüroff2, Alicia Piera Alberola1, Erwin Frey2,*, and Joachim O. Rädler1,†

  • 1Faculty of Physics and Center for NanoScience Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, D-80539 Munich, Germany
  • 2Arnold-Sommerfeld-Center for Theoretical Physics and Center for NanoScience, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstrasse 37, D-80333 Munich, Germany

  • *frey@lmu.de
  • raedler@lmu.de

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Issue

Vol. 114, Iss. 22 — 5 June 2015

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