Agent-based model of diffusion of N-acyl homoserine lactones in a multicellular environment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans

Authored by Gael Perez-Rodriguez, Martin Perez-Perez, Florentino Fdez-Riverola, Nuno F Azevedo, Analia Lourenco, Sonia Dias

Date Published: 2018

DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2018.1440392

Sponsors: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID)

Platforms: No platforms listed

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

Experimental incapacity to track microbe-microbe interactions in structures like biofilms, and the complexity inherent to the mathematical modelling of those interactions, raises the need for feasible, alternative modelling approaches. This work proposes an agent-based representation of the diffusion of N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHL) in a multicellular environment formed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. Depending on the spatial location, C. albicans cells were variably exposed to AHLs, an observation that might help explain why phenotypic switching of individual cells in biofilms occurred at different time points. The simulation and algebraic results were similar for simpler scenarios, although some statistical differences could be observed (p<0.05). The model was also successfully applied to a more complex scenario representing a small multicellular environment containing C. albicans and P. aeruginosa cells encased in a 3-D matrix. Further development of this model may help create a predictive tool to depict biofilm heterogeneity at the single-cell level.

Tags

Agent-based modelling Simulation population Mathematical-model Virulence Cell communication Quorum Signal Mixed-culture biofilm Cellular systems Quorum-sensing signalling Three-dimensional model representation Individual molecule simulation