A computational model of bleb formation.
Blebbing occurs when the cytoskeleton detaches from the cell membrane, resulting in the pressure-driven flow of cytosol towards the area of detachment and the local expansion of the cell membrane. Recent interest has focused on cells that use blebbing for migrating through 3D fibrous matrices. In particular, metastatic cancer cells have been shown to use blebs for motility. A dynamic computational model of the cell is presented that includes mechanics of and the interactions between the intracellular fluid, the actin cortex and the cell membrane. The computational model is used to explore the relative roles in bleb formation time of cytoplasmic viscosity and drag between the cortex and the cytosol. A regime of values for the drag coefficient and cytoplasmic viscosity values that match bleb formation timescales is presented. The model results are then used to predict the Darcy permeability and the volume fraction of the cortex.
['Strychalski|Wanda|W|', 'Guy|Robert D|RD|']
D000199:Actins D000818:Animals D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena D002465:Cell Movement D022081:Cell Surface Extensions D003593:Cytoplasm D004548:Elasticity D007424:Intracellular Fluid D016014:Linear Models D055641:Mathematical Concepts D008954:Models, Biological D016062:Porosity D014783:Viscosity
blebbing cell cortex cell mechanics immersed boundary method intracellular fluid flow porous media