Regensburg 2013 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 25: Posters: Cytoskeleton

BP 25.17: Poster

Wednesday, March 13, 2013, 17:30–19:30, Poster C

Rheology of cytoskeletal in-vitro networks — •Meenakshi Prabhune¹, Knut Heidemann², Florian Rehfeldt¹, Max Wardetzky², and Christoph Schmidt¹ — ¹Third Physics Institute, Georg August University, Göttingen — ²Department for Numerical and Applied Mathematics, Georg August University, Göttingen

Living cells are governed by active cellular processes such as cell division, adhesion and migration that depend on the cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton is a composite cross-linked polymer network of cytoskeletal filaments ranging from rod-like microtubules and actin bundles to semi-flexible actin filaments and softer intermediate filaments. Single-component in vitro networks have been studied, but well defined composites are more difficult to construct and are not yet well understood. Here, we have generated heterogeneous networks in vitro by cross-linking microtubules and ds DNA via a heterobifunctional cross-linker (sulpho SMCC). DNA as a cross-linker has the unique advantage of having a well-defined length, which we vary in our experiments. We have measured the shear-elastic response in these networks by macrorheology experiments at varying strains and frequencies. The nonlinear response was also characterized using differential stiffness measurements in a macrorheometer. Simultaneously, we compare the experimental data to numerical simulations that we have developed for networks of stiff slender rods connected by semi-flexible linkers (see poster by Knut Heidemann).