Effects of microtubule length and crowding on active microtubule network organization
Active filament networks can organize into various dynamic architectures driven by cross-linking motors. Densities and kinetic properties of motors and microtubules have been shown previously to determine active microtubule network self-organization, but the effects of other control parameters are l...
| Autores: | , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2023 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Pompeu Fabra |
| Repositorio: | Repositorio Digital de la UPF |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:repositori.upf.edu:10230/56249 |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/10230/56249 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.106063 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Biological sciences Biophysics Cell biology Functional aspects of cell biology |
| Sumario: | Active filament networks can organize into various dynamic architectures driven by cross-linking motors. Densities and kinetic properties of motors and microtubules have been shown previously to determine active microtubule network self-organization, but the effects of other control parameters are less understood. Using computer simulations, we study here how microtubule lengths and crowding effects determine active network architecture and dynamics. We find that attractive interactions mimicking crowding effects or long microtubules both promote the formation of extensile nematic networks instead of asters. When microtubules are very long and the network is highly connected, a new isotropically motile network state resembling a "gliding mesh" is predicted. Using in vitro reconstitutions, we confirm the existence of this gliding mesh experimentally. These results provide a better understanding of how active microtubule network organization can be controlled, with implications for cell biology and active materials in general. |
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