Quantitative analysis of random ameboid motion

We quantify random migration of the social ameba Dictyostelium discoideum. We demonstrate that the statistics of cell motion can be described by an underlying Langevin-type stochastic differential equation. An analytic expression for the velocity distribution function is derived. The separation into...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Europhysics letters 2010-04, Vol.90 (2), p.28005
Main Authors: Bödeker, H. U, Beta, C, Frank, T. D, Bodenschatz, E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
05.10.Gg
05.40.Fb
87.17.Jj
Differential equations
Exact solutions
Mathematical analysis
Migration
Quantitative analysis
Statistics
Stimuli
Stochasticity
Velocity distribution
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Summary:We quantify random migration of the social ameba Dictyostelium discoideum. We demonstrate that the statistics of cell motion can be described by an underlying Langevin-type stochastic differential equation. An analytic expression for the velocity distribution function is derived. The separation into deterministic and stochastic parts of the movement shows that the cells undergo a damped motion with multiplicative noise. Both contributions to the dynamics display a distinct response to external physiological stimuli. The deterministic component depends on the developmental state and ambient levels of signaling substances, while the stochastic part does not.
ISSN:0295-5075
1286-4854
DOI:10.1209/0295-5075/90/28005