K. Doubrovinski and K. Kruse 2008 EPL 83 18003 doi:10.1209/0295-5075/83/18003
K. Doubrovinski and K. Kruse
Show affiliationsWaves are a ubiquitous phenomenon in the cytoskeleton of cells crawling or spreading on a substrate. In theoretical analysis, cytoskeletal waves have been attributed to the action of molecular motors that actively cross-link cytoskeletal filaments. Motivated by recent observations of cytoskeletal waves in human neutrophils, we develop a description of treadmilling filaments in the presence of nucleating proteins that are active when bound to the membrane adjacent to the substrate. If these proteins bind cooperatively to the membrane, we find traveling waves even in the absence of molecular motors. In a confined domain the system can organize into a pair of counter-rotating spirals that emit planar waves.
87.16.-b Subcellular structure and processes
87.16.Ka Filaments, microtubules, their networks, and supramolecular assemblies
Issue 1 (July 2008)
Received 20 February 2008, accepted for publication 19 May 2008
Published 19 June 2008
K. Doubrovinski and K. Kruse 2008 EPL 83 18003
Andrew H Cannon et al 2005 J. Micromech. Microeng. 15 2172
J. N. Wilking and T. G. Mason 2008 EPL 81 58005
Ann Merchant Boesgaard and Megan C. Novicki 2006 ApJ 641 1122
W A Clarkson 2001 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 34 2381
M. Tumminello et al 2007 EPL 78 30006
Harry I. Ringermacher and Lawrence R. Mead 2009 The Astronomical Journal 137 4716
D. Ragozzine and M. E. Brown 2009 The Astronomical Journal 137 4766
Bo Reipurth et al. 2007 The Astronomical Journal 134 2272
Yiping Ao et al. 2008 The Astronomical Journal 136 1118