Work

Emergence of chiral multi-armed spirals in an open system of migrating cells under continuous cell supply

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: From molecular assemblies to multicellular tissues, chirality organizes living and active-matter systems into striking collective states. Across cellular collectives and active materials, weak microscopic chiral cues in motion and interaction can systematically skew how constituents coordinate, flow, and break spatial symmetries. Yet the principles that govern chiral ordering in open systems, where elements are continuously supplied and removed, remain poorly understood. Here, we show that chemotaxis-deficient Dictyostelium discoideum mutants (KI cells) form centimeter-scale, clockwise, multi-armed spirals. Each arm is a traveling band produced by short-range alignment interactions and guided by a polar-ordered rotating core that encircles the cell source. A subtle clockwise bias in single-cell migration is amplified by collective ordering into tissue-scale chirality. To uncover the minimal ingredients, we developed an open chiral Vicsek model and found that intrinsic chirality, polar alignment, and continuous cell supply are the key factors. Our study establishes a general route by which weak microscopic chirality and sustained material flux generate macroscopic chiral order, offering new insight into chiral patterning in multicellular systems.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-78179-4

Authors: Masayuki Hayakawa, Biplab Bhattacherjee, Hidekazu Kuwayama, Tatsuo Shibata

Institutions: Kyoto Institute of Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, University of Tsukuba

Language: English

Topic: Nonlinear Dynamics and Pattern Formation

Subfield: Computer Networks and Communications

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $6,990

Funders: Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, RIKEN, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research