Cell shape matters (also in silico)
Jos Kaefer

We study directional cell sorting, as found in slime mould slugs. The goal is to
understand the entanglement of chemotaxis and differential adhesion. We
therefore need a model that is able to describe differential adhesion,
chemotaxis, and the dynamics in cell masses. The Cellular Potts Model (CPM), in
which cells have a distinct shape and volume, and are deformable, is a powerful
formalism for this question. A rich array of cell behaviour is observed in our
simulations: differential adhesion can strongly influence directional sorting
when chemotaxis is equal for all cells. We show that the CPM is able to answer
our questions, and helps us to understand the origins of the observed
behaviours.