Berlin 2015 – scientific programme

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 72: Microswimmers, Active Liquids I (joint session CPP, BP, DY)

CPP 72.4: Talk

Thursday, March 19, 2015, 17:00–17:15, PC 203

Vortex pattern formation of curved active polymers — •Lorenz Huber, Jonas Denk, Emanuel Reithmann, and Erwin Frey — Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Deutschland

During bacterial cytokinesis FtsZ filaments assemble into a ring-like structure. Recent experiments with reconstituted FtsA-dependent recruitment of FtsZ filaments to supported membranes have observed self-organization into vortex patterns. Accounting for the treadmilling dynamics of curved FtsZ on the membrane, we propose a model for systems of polymers with equal length and curvature that undergo effective propulsion. The FtsZ filaments are assumed to sterically repel each other. Employing Brownian dynamics simulations and a kinetic Boltzmann ansatz to study these systems on microscopic and mesoscopic length scales, respectively, we identify activity, intrinsic curvature, and steric repulsion as sufficient to control the stability of vortex patterns. In our microscopic approach we modeled the FtsZ membrane dynamics as a two-dimensional system of propelled elastic polymers and find a parameter regime of dense and stable vortices. Furthermore, we employed a mesoscale description in terms of a kinetic Boltzmann approach to investigate general effects of intrinsic curvature on collective behavior in active systems. We obtain a phase diagram featuring a confined parameter region of steady dense swirls. Our results provide a generic and robust mechanism for pattern formation in actual biological systems of curved filaments.