Extended Cellular Potts Model - Cellular Potts Models: Multiscale Extensions and Biological Applications - page 56

FIGURE 4.3: For representative purposes, simplified representation of a
cell used in the applications of next chapters. The cell is sub-divided in the
central nuclear cluster of type = N, the surrounding cytosolic region of type
= C and the plasma-membrane of type = M. A further simplication
made in some models will be an implicit representation of the PM, defined
only as the interface between the cytosolic compartment and the extracellular
environment.
described in full detail as in Figure 4.2 but will be reproduced only as bi- or
three-compartmental individuals; see Figure 4.3. In the first case, they will be
formed by the nucleus, a central almost spherical (or round in 2D) cluster of
type = N, and by the surrounding cytosol, of type = C, while the plasma-
membrane will be defined only as the border between the cytosolic region and
the extracellular environment. In the second case, the plasma envelope will
be instead explicitly represent as a further cell compartment, of type = M,
one site-width and enclosing the entire individual. In both cases, the nuclear
membrane will be not explicitly model, being defined as the interface between
the nucleus and the cytosolic units. This choice is justified from the fact that,
with respect to the PM, no relevant processes will occur there during the
simulated phenomena.
Obviously, the measures of the intracellular compartments will be clarified
for each specific application, as they may vary according to the cell line of
interest.
4.3 Nested Approach
In order to improve the realism of CPM applications, researchers have mainly
been focused on defining more complex Hamiltonians, able to reproduce in-
creasingly specific rules for object behavior and interactions [253].