Dresden 2014 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 11: Posters: Cytoskeleton

BP 11.2: Poster

Tuesday, April 1, 2014, 09:30–12:30, P1

Entropic contraction of actin networks — •Carsten Schuldt, Tom Golde, Jörg Schnauß, Martin Glaser, and Josef A. Käs — Universität Leipzig , Institut für Experimentelle Physik I, Physik der weichen Materie, Linnéstr. 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany

Retraction at the rear of a cell is a fundamental part of its migration process. This contraction can be accomplished by actin-myosin interaction. However, myosin knock-out cells have been shown to be still capable of migration. Alternatively, the depolymerization of the cytoskeleton was proposed to cause contractile forces only by a gain in entropy in the absence of molecular motors. This concept has been demonstrated on polymer mesh-works of nematode’s major sperm protein.

We study the depolymerization of actin networks. In particular, the mesoscopic details and the forces associated with this process are of interest. We employ a micro-rheology approach in conjunction with light induced softening of actin networks [1] to measure both softening and contraction of the depolymerizing mesh-work.

[1] Golde et al. 2013. PRE 88:044601