Pulling helices inside bacteria: imperfect helices and rings.
We study steady-state configurations of intrinsically-straight elastic filaments constrained within rod-shaped bacteria that have applied forces distributed along their length. Perfect steady-state helices result from axial or azimuthal forces applied at filament ends, however azimuthal forces are required for the small pitches observed for MreB filaments within bacteria. Helix-like configurations can result from distributed forces, including coexistence between rings and imperfect helices. Levels of expression and/or bundling of the polymeric protein could mediate this coexistence.
Allard
Jun F
JF
Institute of Applied Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z2.
Rutenberg
Andrew D
AD
D001419:Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000737:chemistry*; D008968:Molecular Conformation