Probing eukaryotic cell mechanics via mesoscopic simulations

Cell mechanics has proven to be important in many biological processes. Although there is a number of experimental techniques which allow us to study mechanical properties of cell, there is still a lack of understanding of the role each sub-cellular component plays during cell deformations. We present a new mesoscopic particle-based eukaryotic cell model which explicitly describes cell membrane, nucleus and cytoskeleton. We employ Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) method that provides us with the unified framework for modeling of a cell and its interactions in the flow. Data from micropipette aspiration experiments were used to define model parameters. The model was validated using data from microfluidic experiments. The validated model was then applied to study the impact of the sub-cellular components on the cell viscoelastic response in micropipette aspiration and microfluidic experiments.Author summary: Predictive simulations of cell flow in microfluidic devices and capillary networks may help to quantify the impact of different cell components on its behavior. Cells have complex mechanical properties and can undergo significant deformations, requiring detailed models to give an insight into the cell rheology. We developed computational model for simulations of cells with nucleus and cytoskeleton in flows in complex domains such as capillary networks and microfluidic devices. We validated the model using experimental data and used it to quantify the effects of cell components on its behavior. We envision that the proposed model will allow to study in silico numerous problems related to the cell biomechanics in flows.