DPG Phi
Verhandlungen
Verhandlungen
DPG

Berlin 2012 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help

BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 6: Physics of Cells II

BP 6.7: Talk

Monday, March 26, 2012, 16:45–17:00, H 1028

A theory of sarcomeric pattern formation by actin cluster coalescence — •Benjamin M Friedrich1,3, Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich2,3, Nir S Gov2, and Samuel A Safran11Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel — 2Department of Chemical Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel — 3Current address: Max-Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany

Contractile function of striated muscle cells depends crucially on the almost crystalline order of actin and myosin filaments in myofibrils, but the physical mechanisms of myofibril assembly remains ill-defined. Passive diffusive sorting of actin filaments into sarcomeric order is kinetically impossible, suggesting a pivotal role of active processes in sarcomeric pattern formation. Using a computational model, we show that actin filament treadmilling in the presence of processive plus-end crosslinking provides a simple and robust mechanism for the polarity sorting of actin filaments. We propose that the coalescence of crosslinked actin clusters could be key for sarcomeric pattern formation. In our simulations, sarcomere spacing is set by filament length prompting tight length control already at early stages of pattern formation. The proposed mechanism could be generic and apply both to premyofibrils and nascent myofibrils in developing muscle cells as well as possibly to striated stress-fibers in non-muscle cells.

100% | Mobile Layout | Deutsche Version | Contact/Imprint/Privacy
DPG-Physik > DPG-Verhandlungen > 2012 > Berlin