2011/06/30 by S. Banerjee, Shiladitya Banerjee, M. Cristina Marchetti +1
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Materials and Mechanics #Boundary value problem #Cellular Mechanics and Interactions #Coupling (piping) #Micro and Nano Robotics #Rigidity (electromagnetism) #Substrate (aquarium) #Substrate coupling #Viscoelasticity #cond-mat.soft #q-bio.CB
paper · pdf · doi:10.1209/0295-5075/96/28003
published as EPL, 96 (2011) 28003 · 6 pages, 4 figures, EPL format
arxiv created 2011/08/29 · openalex publication_date 2011/09/28 · arxiv updated 2015/05/28 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We present a continuum model of the coupling between cells and substrate that accounts for some of the observed substrate-stiffness dependence of cell properties. The cell is modeled as an elastic active gel, adapting recently developed continuum theories of active viscoelastic fluids. The coupling to the substrate enters as a boundary condition that relates the cell's deformation field to local stress gradients. In the presence of activity, the coupling to the substrate yields spatially inhomogeneous contractile stresses and deformations in the cell and can enhance polarization, breaking the cell's front-rear symmetry.