Kinetics of cell spreading.
Cell spreading is a fundamental event where the contact area with a solid substrate increases because of actin polymerization. We propose in this Letter a physical model to study the growth of the contact area with time. This analysis is compared with experimental data using the ameoba Dictyostelium discoideum. Our model couples the stress, which builds up at the margin of the contact area when the cell spreads, to the biochemical processes of actin polymerization. This leads to a scaling analysis of experimental data with a characteristic time whose order of magnitude compares well with our experimental results.
Chamaraux
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Si3M-DRFMC CEA-Grenoble, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 09, France.
Fache
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Bruckert
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Fourcade
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B
D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D000656:Amoeba / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000502:physiology; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological
D000199:Actins