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Relationship between haptotaxis and chemotaxis in cell dynamics

The phenomenon where cells with elongated protrusions, such as neurons, communicate by contacting other cells and arrange themselves appropriately is termed cell sorting through haptotaxis. This phenomenon is described by partial differential equations involving nonlocal advection. In contrast, cell phenomena where cells communicate with other cells via chemical substances and arrange themselves appropriately are termed cell sorting through chemotaxis, typically modeled by chemotactic systems such as the Keller--Segel model. Although there are clear differences between haptotaxis and chemotaxis, similar behaviors are often observed. In this study, we investigate the relationship between haptotaxis and chemotaxis in cell sorting phenomena. Specifically, we analyze the connections between a nonlocal aggregation model for haptotaxis and a Keller--Segel type chemotaxis system. By demonstrating convergence under specific kernel approximations, we show how these distinct mechanisms can lead to comparable dynamic behaviors. In particular, we establish that the gradient of a given kernel can be approximated by linear combinations of gradients of fundamental solutions, which also provides a mathematical contribution of independent interest. This study provides a mathematical framework for understanding the interplay between haptotaxis and chemotaxis in cell sorting phenomena.