Development of Three-dimensional Chemotaxis Model for a Single Crawling Cell, Considering the Interaction between the Cell and Substrate

The interaction between the cell and the substrate is the most prominent feature affecting the migration of a crawling cell. This paper proposes a three-dimensional dynamic model using the diffuse interface description that reveals the effects of the interaction between a single crawling cell and the substrate during chemotactic migration. To illustrate the effects of interaction between the cell and the substrate, we consider the interfacial energy between the coexistent materials. Multiple mechanisms including the interface energy, chemotaxis effect, and diffusion, are addressed by employing a diffuse interface model.