Regensburg 2013 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 24: Posters: Physics of Cells

BP 24.16: Poster

Mittwoch, 13. März 2013, 17:30–19:30, Poster C

Dynamics of membrane tubes filled with an active gel — •Dominic Jourdain and Karsten Kruse — Theoretische Physik, Universität des Saarlandes, Postfach 151150, 66041 Saarbrücken, Germany

Cellular systems display a multitude of tubular protrusions, e.g., filopodia, axons or stereocilia. These structures are essentially cylinders delimited by a lipid membrane and filled with cytoskeletal filaments. The intrinsic activity of such protrusions can induce mechanical instabilities. For example, peristaltic shape undulations of axons have been observed subsequent to osmotic perturbations [1]. To further understand possible mechanical instabilities of tubular protrusions, we study the dynamics of active gels inside tubular membranes. Cytoskeletal dynamics are described on a continuum level and on macroscopic length and time scales using a two-fluid hydrodynamic theory. We find that sufficiently large active stresses in the gel induce peristaltic instabilities.

[1] Pullarkat et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 048104 (2006)