PoC - Physics of Cancer - Annual Symposium
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Invited Talk, Friday, 11:15 – 11:45  
The different phases of the force-velocity relation of motile cells

Juliane Zimmermann1, Claudia Brunner2, Mihaela Enculescu3, Michael Goegler2, Allen Ehrlicher2, Josef A. Käs2, Martin Falcke1
 
1
 Mathematical Cell Physiology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Straße 10, 13092 Berlin, Germany
2
 Soft Matter Physics Division, Institute of Experimental Physics I, University of Leipzig, Linnéstraße 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
3
 Institute for Theoretical Physics, Technische Universität, Hardenbergstraße 36, 10623 Berlin, Germany

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Cells must overcome resistance when moving through tissue during metastasis or wound healing. The forces they can withstand are determined by their force-velocity relation, which has been measured for keratocytes but remains unexplained. We present a mechanism explaining that relation and its changes upon application of drugs that hinder actin polymerization or actomyosin based contractility. Already small opposing forces slow down lamellipodium motion by three orders of magnitude due to the delicate force balance at its leading edge. Increasing external forces accelerates actin gel retrograde flow until it compensates for polymerization and cell motion stalls. Subsequently, the force-velocity relation spirals transiently around the stall force due to adaptation to the stalled state. The force-velocity relation reflects the force sensitivity of the lamellipodium leading edge and retrograde flow.
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