Universal Statistical Laws for the Velocities of Collective Migrating Cells.
Shao-Zhen LinPeng-Cheng ChenLiu-Yuan GuanYue ShaoYu-Kun HaoQunyang LiBo LiDavid A WeitzXi-Qiao FengPublished in: Advanced biosystems (2021)
Migratory dynamics of collective cells is central to the morphogenesis of biological tissues. The statistical distribution of cell velocities in 2D confluent monolayers is measured through large-scale and long-term experiments of various cell types lying on different substrates. A linear relation is discovered between the variability and the mean of cell speeds during the jamming process of confluent cell monolayers, suggesting time-invariant distribution profile of cell velocities. It is further found that the probability density function of cell velocities obeys the non-canonical q-Gaussian statistics, regardless of cell types and substrate stiffness. It is the Tsallis entropy, instead of the classical Boltzmann-Gibbs entropy, that dictates the universal statistical laws of collective cell migration. The universal statistical law stems from cell-cell interactions, as demonstrated by the wound healing experiments. This previously unappreciated finding provides a linkage between cell-level heterogeneity and tissue-level ensembles in embryonic development and tumor growth.