Berlin 2015 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 28: Posters: Biomaterials and Biopolymers
BP 28.6: Poster
Dienstag, 17. März 2015, 14:00–16:00, Poster A
Higher ordered assembly of rigid biopolymers induced by depletion forces — •Martin Glaser1, Teresa Tschirner1,2, Maximilian Moebius-Winkler2, Carsten Schuldt1,2, Tina Händler1, Tom Golde1, Josef Käs1, David Smith2, and Jörg Schnauß1 — 1University of Leipzig, Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences: Soft Matter Division, Leipzig, Germany — 2Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
The influence of depletion forces on processes like cellular organization has long been underestimated. An attractive potential induced within a system of rigid biopolymers can lead to the formation of higher ordered structures. The biopolymer actin can assemble, to loose networks, bundles and also clusters in a higher-level assembly like asters and nematic phases. In particular, the formation of asters was usually attributed to active processes driven by the molecular motor myosin. We present experimental evidence of bundle arrangements in star-like structures independent of other associated proteins. For the formation, we use established actin-bundling mechanisms such as counter-ion clouds and depletion forces. These structures can be formed solely by altering the concentration of actin and the according bundling agent in the system. Since no other proteins are involved, this effect demonstrates that higher ordered structure formations can be controlled only by self-assembly and accordingly energy minimization of the system. To demonstrate generality of this ordering effect beyond cellular biopolymers, we additionally present first experimental results on the formation of higher ordered structures by artificially designed DNA tubes.