Erin Angelini

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  A mean-field model for C. elegans embryo localization
  Erin Angelini

  Cell polarization is an essential process for differentiating cells. In early C. elegans embryos, this polarization is conducted by the precise localization of the pronuclear complex. The developing mitotic spindle drives the rotation and translation of the pronuclei through the forced-based interactions of its composite microtubules and the cell cortex. Building on previous models, both dynamic and steady state, we introduce a steady-state model that captures a reduced version of the pronuclear dynamics. By fitting this model to data from a dynamic computational model, we find that cell geometry determines both the final orientation of the spindle and how long it takes the system to reach this steady state. Moreover, the system tends to a steady state in the regions of the cell with highest curvature. Thus, our results indicate that the cell geometry necessary for proper pronuclear localization is highly specific and curvature-driven.