Dresden 2017 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 53: Pattern Formation (Joint Session DY/BP)

BP 53.6: Talk

Thursday, March 23, 2017, 16:15–16:30, ZEU 118

Pattern formation in polymerizing actin flocks — •Thomas Le Goff, Benno Liebchen, and Davide Marenduzzo — School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, UK

F-Actin is a polymer existing in the cytoskeleton of cells and which is involved in cell motility, cell division or cell signaling. These polymers form a network which can exhibit very interesting dynamics. Particularly, actin waves usually following formation of spots were observed experimentally [1].

We propose a simple physical model based on a minimum number of ingredients to describe the appearance of these waves :(i) treadmilling - i.e. the simultaneous growth and shrinkage at the two ends of the actin fiber, (ii) polymerisation and (iii) a nematic interaction term causing fiber alignment for large concentration of F-actin. With this simple model we obtain very rich dynamics, in particular we can observe formation of spots, spirals and waves resembling the dynamics seen experimentally. Our model also allows us to make definite predictions on the mechanism underlying wave formation in vivo.

[1]T. Bretschneider, K. Anderson, M. Ecke, A. Müller-Taubenberger, B. Schroth-Diez, H. C. Ishikawa-Ankerhold, G. Gerisch, Biophys. J. 96, 2888 (2009).