TY  - JOUR
A1  - Cherstvy, Andrey G.
A1  - Nagel, Oliver
A1  - Beta, Carsten
A1  - Metzler, Ralf
T1  - Non-Gaussianity, population heterogeneity, and transient superdiffusion in the spreading dynamics of amoeboid cells
T2  - Physical chemistry, chemical physics : a journal of European Chemical Societies
N2  - What is the underlying diffusion process governing the spreading dynamics and search strategies employed by amoeboid cells? Based on the statistical analysis of experimental single-cell tracking data of the two-dimensional motion of the Dictyostelium discoideum amoeboid cells, we quantify their diffusive behaviour based on a number of standard and complementary statistical indicators. We compute the ensemble- and time-averaged mean-squared displacements (MSDs) of the diffusing amoebae cells and observe a pronounced spread of short-time diffusion coefficients and anomalous MSD-scaling exponents for individual cells. The distribution functions of the cell displacements, the long-tailed distribution of instantaneous speeds, and the velocity autocorrelations are also computed. In particular, we observe a systematic superdiffusive short-time behaviour for the ensemble- and time-averaged MSDs of the amoeboid cells. Also, a clear anti-correlation of scaling exponents and generalised diffusivity values for different cells is detected. Most significantly, we demonstrate that the distribution function of the cell displacements has a strongly non-Gaussian shape andusing a rescaled spatio-temporal variablethe cell-displacement data collapse onto a universal master curve. The current analysis of single-cell motions can be implemented for quantifying diffusive behaviours in other living-matter systems, in particular, when effects of active transport, non-Gaussian displacements, and heterogeneity of the population are involved in the dynamics.
Y1  - 2018
UR  - https://publishup.uni-potsdam.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/51934
SN  - 1463-9076
SN  - 1463-9084
VL  - 20
IS  - 35
SP  - 23034
EP  - 23054
PB  - Royal Society of Chemistry
CY  - Cambridge
ER  -