A bio-chemo-mechanical model for cell contractility

Abstract

A general model for the contractility of cells is presented that accounts for the dynamic reorganization of the cytoskeleton. The model is motivated by three key biochemical processes: (i) an activation signal that triggers actin polymerization and myosin phosphorylation, (ii) the tension-dependent assembly of the actin and myosin into stress fibers, and (iii) the cross-bridge cycling between the actin and myosin filaments that generates the tension. Simple relations are proposed to model these coupled phenomena and a continuum model developed for simulating cell contractility. The model is capable of predicting key experimentally established characteristics including: (i) the decrease in the forces generated by the cell with increasing substrate compliance, (ii) the influence of cell shape and boundary conditions on the development of structural anisotropy, and (iii) the high concentration of the stress fibers at the focal adhesions. We present numerical examples of a square cell on four supports to demonstrate these capabilities.