title: Polarization and migration in the zebrafish posterior lateral line system.
abstract: Collective cell migration plays an important role in development. Here, we study the posterior lateral line primordium (PLLP) a group of about 100 cells, destined to form sensory structures, that migrates from head to tail in the zebrafish embryo. We model mutually inhibitory FGF-Wnt signalling network in the PLLP and link tissue subdivision (Wnt receptor and FGF receptor activity domains) to receptor-ligand parameters. We then use a 3D cell-based simulation with realistic cell-cell adhesion, interaction forces, and chemotaxis. Our model is able to reproduce experimentally observed motility with leading cells migrating up a gradient of CXCL12a, and trailing (FGF receptor active) cells moving actively by chemotaxis towards FGF ligand secreted by the leading cells. The 3D simulation framework, combined with experiments, allows an investigation of the role of cell division, chemotaxis, adhesion, and other parameters on the shape and speed of the PLLP. The 3D model demonstrates reasonable behaviour of control as well as mutant phenotypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Hildur
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Knutsdottir
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Cole
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2368-5658
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zmurchok
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Dhananjay
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8068-3101
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bhaskar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Eirikur
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palsson
authors.affiliation: Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Damian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dalle Nogare
authors.affiliation: Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Ajay B
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6423-6624
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Chitnis
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Edelstein-Keshet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D002465:Cell Movement; D016764:Cell Polarity; D019295:Computational Biology; D008954:Models, Biological; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology*