Patterning Potential of Cell-cell signalling Molecules in Flowing Tissue

Cell motility and cell-cell signalling are expected to play important roles in determining the mechanics behind deformation and patterning in tissues. Modelling efforts have, thus far, treated these two processes separately. Experiments in recent years, however, suggest that both these processes could be tightly coupled.

Cell deformation depends on membrane and cytoskeletal elasticity, cell-cell adhesion and active forces. Cell-cell signalling occurs through signalling molecules. A large number of complex tissue behaviours are controlled by contact signalling. Such interactions can occur only between cells that are in physical contact, either directly at the junctions of adjacent cells or through cellular protrusions. It is as yet unclear how the spatial distribution these molecules or the kinetics of their interactions are influenced by the collective migration in tissues driven by cell motility.

We present a model which accounts for contact signalling between adjacent cells and between non-adjacent neighbours through long protrusions that occur along the direction of cell polarization. The spatial patterns that develop are observed to qualitatively depend on polarization of protrusions, cell motility and the relative strengths of adjacent and non-adjacent signalling interactions.