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Spatial self-organization resolves conflicts between individuality and collective migration

Author

Listed:
  • X. Fu

    (Yale University
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • S. Kato

    (Yale University
    Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima)

  • J. Long

    (Yale University
    Yale University)

  • H. H. Mattingly

    (Yale University)

  • C. He

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • D. C. Vural

    (Yale University
    University of Notre Dame)

  • S. W. Zucker

    (Yale University
    Yale University)

  • T. Emonet

    (Yale University
    Yale University)

Abstract

Collective behavior can spontaneously emerge when individuals follow common rules of interaction. However, the behavior of each individual differs due to existing genetic and non-genetic variation within the population. It remains unclear how this individuality is managed to achieve collective behavior. We quantify individuality in bands of clonal Escherichia coli cells that migrate collectively along a channel by following a self-generated gradient of attractant. We discover that despite substantial differences in individual chemotactic abilities, the cells are able to migrate as a coherent group by spontaneously sorting themselves within the moving band. This sorting mechanism ensures that differences between individual chemotactic abilities are compensated by differences in the local steepness of the traveling gradient each individual must navigate, and determines the minimum performance required to travel with the band. By resolving conflicts between individuality and collective migration, this mechanism enables populations to maintain advantageous diversity while on the move.

Suggested Citation

  • X. Fu & S. Kato & J. Long & H. H. Mattingly & C. He & D. C. Vural & S. W. Zucker & T. Emonet, 2018. "Spatial self-organization resolves conflicts between individuality and collective migration," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-04539-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04539-4
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    Cited by:

    1. Paula Villa Martín & Miguel A Muñoz & Simone Pigolotti, 2019. "Bet-hedging strategies in expanding populations," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(4), pages 1-17, April.
    2. Nguyen, Minh D.N. & Pham, Phuc H. & Ngo, Khang V. & Do, Van H. & Li, Shengkai & Phan, Trung V., 2024. "Remark on the entropy production of adaptive run-and-tumble chemotaxis," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 634(C).
    3. Sean Lim & Xiaokan Guo & James Q Boedicker, 2019. "Connecting single-cell properties to collective behavior in multiple wild isolates of the Enterobacter cloacae complex," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(4), pages 1-18, April.

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