title: The effect of anisotropic microtubule-bound nucleations on ordering in the plant cortical array.
abstract: The highly orientationally ordered cortical microtubule array in plant cells is a key component for cell growth and development. Recent experimental and computational work has shown that the anisotropic nucleation of new microtubules from pre-existing microtubules has a major effect on the alignment process. We formulate a theoretical model to investigate the role of the microtubule-bound nucleation on the self-organization of the dynamical cortical microtubules. A bifurcation analysis of the stability of the disordered phase of the model reveals that the effective degree of co-aligned nucleation is the main determinant of the location of the transition. Increased co-aligned nucleation creates a positive feedback effect on the ordering process that can significantly widen the ordered region. We validate these predictions by comparing to the results of particle-based simulations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Biophysics, FOM Institute AMOLF, Science Park 104, 1098 XG, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Panayiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Foteinopoulos
authors.forename: Bela M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Mulder
mesh_terms: D016880:Anisotropy; D055641:Mathematical Concepts; D008870:Microtubules / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008954:Models, Biological; D063245:Plant Development; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D010944:Plants / Q000648:ultrastructure*