Fig. 3: The model parameters can be used to control shape and guidance independently.

a A phase diagram showing the guidance direction as a function of the contractility σ and the actin polymerization rate β (θ = 0.1) with initial polarization up the sawteeth. Increasing the contractility leads to a reversal in the guidance direction. b Cell migration behavior for different values of β and σ. For σ = 1, the cell's initial velocity decays rapidly to a more stable final velocity. For σ = 0.5, the cell's initial velocity decay mirrors that for σ = 1, before decaying further at longer times. For σ = 0.1, the cell reverses direction at t ≈ 100 to move down the sawteeth. 3D visualizations of the stable cell-shape phenotype for (c) σ = 1, (d) σ = 0.5, and (e) σ = 0.1. As the contractility σ decreases, the cell becomes more oval shaped.