Three-dimensional simulation of obstacle-mediated chemotaxis

Amoeboid cells exhibit a highly dynamic motion that can be directed by external chemical signals, through the process of chemotaxis. Here, we propose a three-dimensional model for chemotactic motion of amoeboid cells. We account for the interactions between the extracellular substances, the membrane-bound proteins, and the cytosolic components involved in the signaling pathway that originates cell motility. We show two- and three-dimensional simulations of cell migration on planar substrates, flat surfaces with obstacles, and fibrous networks. The results show that our model reproduces the main features of chemotactic amoeboid motion. Our simulations unveil a complicated interplay between the geometry of the cell’s environment and the chemoattractant dynamics that tightly regulates cell motion. The model opens new opportunities to simulate the interactions between extra- and intra-cellular compounds mediated by the matrix geometry.