Enhanced chemotaxis through spatially regulated absolute concentration robustness

Abstract Chemotaxis, the directional motility of cells in response to spatial gradients chemical cues, is a fundamental process behind wide range biological events, including innate immune and cancer metastasis. Recent advances cell biology have shown that protrusions enable amoeboid move are driven by stochastic threshold crossings an underlying excitable system. As encounters chemoattractant gradient, size this regulated spatially so biased toward front cell. For efficient migration, must limit undesirable lateral rear‐directed protrusions. The inclusion control mechanism suppress these unwanted firings would enhance chemotactic efficiency. It known absolute concentration robustness (ACR) exerts tight over mean variance species concentration. Here, we demonstrate how coupling ACR cellular signaling machinery reduces likelihood Moreover, show using cell's gradient sensing apparatus direct action rear suppresses movement results improved performance.