Using a variety of different rheological approaches, we study the nonlinear shear response of purified entangled F-actin solutions. We show that the choice of the experimental protocol is crucial. Furthermore, a transition between stress hardening and weakening can be induced even in purely entangled solutions. This transition depends on various ambient and network parameters including temperature, buffer salt concentration, filament length and density.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/b800989a | DOI Listing |
Mol Biol Cell
June 2024
Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454.
In response to pheromone extend a mating projection. This process depends on the formation of polarized actin cables which direct secretion to the mating tip and translocate the nucleus for karyogamy. Here, we demonstrate that proper mating projection formation requires the formin Bni1, as well as the actin nucleation promoting activities of Bud6, but not the formin Bnr1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhys Rev Lett
September 2022
Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan 44919, Korea.
J Vis Exp
August 2022
Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego;
The composite cytoskeleton, comprising interacting networks of semiflexible actin filaments and rigid microtubules, restructures and generates forces using motor proteins such as myosin II and kinesin to drive key processes such as migration, cytokinesis, adhesion, and mechanosensing. While actin-microtubule interactions are key to the cytoskeleton's versatility and adaptability, an understanding of their interplay with myosin and kinesin activity is still nascent. This work describes how to engineer tunable three-dimensional composite networks of co-entangled actin filaments and microtubules that undergo active restructuring and ballistic motion, driven by myosin II and kinesin motors, and are tuned by the relative concentrations of actin, microtubules, motor proteins, and passive crosslinkers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPolymers (Basel)
February 2022
Peter Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, University of Leipzig, Linnéstraße 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Entangled semiflexible polymer networks are usually described by the tube model, although this concept has not been able to explain all experimental observations. One of its major shortcomings is neglecting the thermal fluctuations of the polymers surrounding the examined test filament, such that disentanglement effects are not captured. In this study, we present experimental evidence that correlated constraint release which has been predicted theoretically occurs in entangled, but not in crosslinked semiflexible polymer networks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
February 2022
Department of Physics, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454;
We study a reconstituted composite system consisting of an active microtubule network interdigitated with a passive network of entangled F-actin filaments. Increasing the concentration of filamentous actin controls the emergent dynamics, inducing a transition from turbulent-like flows to bulk contractions. At intermediate concentrations, where the active stresses change their symmetry from anisotropic extensile to isotropic contracting, the composite separates into layered asters that coexist with the background turbulent fluid.
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