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Rapid local compression in active gels is caused by nonlinear network response.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Mizuno, D; Tardin, C; Schmidt, CF
Published in: Soft matter
October 2020

The actin cytoskeleton in living cells generates forces in conjunction with myosin motor proteins to directly and indirectly drive essential cellular processes. The semiflexible filaments of the cytoskeleton can respond nonlinearly to the collective action of motors. We here investigate mechanics and force generation in a model actin cytoskeleton, reconstituted in vitro, by observing the response and fluctuations of embedded micron-scale probe particles. Myosin mini-filaments can be modeled as force dipoles and give rise to deformations in the surrounding network of cross-linked actin. Anomalously correlated probe fluctuations indicate the presence of rapid local compression or draining of the network that emerges in addition to the ordinary linear shear elastic (incompressible) response to force dipoles. The anomalous propagation of compression can be attributed to the nonlinear response of actin filaments to the microscopic forces, and is quantitatively consistent with motor-generated large-scale stiffening of the gels.

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Published In

Soft matter

DOI

EISSN

1744-6848

ISSN

1744-683X

Publication Date

October 2020

Volume

16

Issue

40

Start / End Page

9369 / 9382

Related Subject Headings

  • Myosins
  • Models, Biological
  • Gels
  • Cytoskeleton
  • Chemical Physics
  • Actins
  • Actin Cytoskeleton
  • 51 Physical sciences
  • 40 Engineering
  • 34 Chemical sciences
 

Citation

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Mizuno, D., Tardin, C., & Schmidt, C. F. (2020). Rapid local compression in active gels is caused by nonlinear network response. Soft Matter, 16(40), 9369–9382. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9sm02362c
Mizuno, D., C. Tardin, and C. F. Schmidt. “Rapid local compression in active gels is caused by nonlinear network response.Soft Matter 16, no. 40 (October 2020): 9369–82. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9sm02362c.
Mizuno D, Tardin C, Schmidt CF. Rapid local compression in active gels is caused by nonlinear network response. Soft matter. 2020 Oct;16(40):9369–82.
Mizuno, D., et al. “Rapid local compression in active gels is caused by nonlinear network response.Soft Matter, vol. 16, no. 40, Oct. 2020, pp. 9369–82. Epmc, doi:10.1039/c9sm02362c.
Mizuno D, Tardin C, Schmidt CF. Rapid local compression in active gels is caused by nonlinear network response. Soft matter. 2020 Oct;16(40):9369–9382.
Journal cover image

Published In

Soft matter

DOI

EISSN

1744-6848

ISSN

1744-683X

Publication Date

October 2020

Volume

16

Issue

40

Start / End Page

9369 / 9382

Related Subject Headings

  • Myosins
  • Models, Biological
  • Gels
  • Cytoskeleton
  • Chemical Physics
  • Actins
  • Actin Cytoskeleton
  • 51 Physical sciences
  • 40 Engineering
  • 34 Chemical sciences