Integration of Stochastic Chemical Kinetics, Mechanics and Growth in the Modeling of Cell Polarization

ABSTRACT

Polarization is an essential behavior of living cells, yet the dynamics of this symmetry-breaking process are not fully understood. We describe our efforts to develop a comprehensive model of polarization in yeast mating. To model this complex biological phenomena, we have developed a multiscale computational framework for simulating the stochastic dynamics of the biochemical reactions involved in initiating and orchestrating the growth process, and for coupling the chemical processes to the mechanical processes of cell wall expansion and growth. We find that cell shape is also an important consideration.