title: Multiscale polar theory of microtubule and motor-protein assemblies.
abstract: Microtubules and motor proteins are building blocks of self-organized subcellular biological structures such as the mitotic spindle and the centrosomal microtubule array. These same ingredients can form new "bioactive" liquid-crystalline fluids that are intrinsically out of equilibrium and which display complex flows and defect dynamics. It is not yet well understood how microscopic activity, which involves polarity-dependent interactions between motor proteins and microtubules, yields such larger-scale dynamical structures. In our multiscale theory, Brownian dynamics simulations of polar microtubule ensembles driven by cross-linking motors allow us to study microscopic organization and stresses. Polarity sorting and cross-link relaxation emerge as two polar-specific sources of active destabilizing stress. On larger length scales, our continuum Doi-Onsager theory captures the hydrodynamic flows generated by polarity-dependent active stresses. The results connect local polar structure to flow structures and defect dynamics.
authors: Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, New York 10012, USA.
authors: Tong
authors: T
authors: Gao
authors: Department of Physics and Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center and Biofrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Blackwell
authors: Department of Physics and Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center and Biofrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
authors: Matthew A
authors: MA
authors: Glaser
authors: Department of Physics and Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center and Biofrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
authors: M D
authors: MD
authors: Betterton
authors: Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, New York 10012, USA.
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Shelley
mesh_terms: D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry; D008870:Microtubules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D013718:Tensile Strength
chemical_list: D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins