title: Growth, collapse, and stalling in a mechanical model for neurite motility.
abstract: Neurites, the long cellular protrusions that form the routes of the neuronal network, are capable of actively extending during early morphogenesis or regenerating after trauma. To perform this task, they rely on their cytoskeleton for mechanical support. In this paper, we present a three-component active gel model that describes neurites in the three robust mechanical states observed experimentally: collapsed, static, and motile. These states arise from an interplay between the physical forces driven by the growth of the microtubule-rich inner core of the neurite and the acto-myosin contractility of its surrounding cortical membrane. In particular, static states appear as a mechanical balance between traction and compression of these two parallel structures. The model predicts how the response of a neurite to a towing force depends on the force magnitude and recovers the response of neurites to several drug treatments that modulate the cytoskeleton active and passive properties.
authors.affiliation: Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX26GG, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Recho
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13PJ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jerusalem
authors.affiliation: Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX26GG, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goriely
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002465:Cell Movement; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism; D008959:Models, Neurological; D016501:Neurites / Q000378:metabolism*