title: Active Curved Polymers Form Vortex Patterns on Membranes.
abstract: Recent in vitro experiments with FtsZ polymers show self-organization into different dynamic patterns, including structures reminiscent of the bacterial Z ring. We model FtsZ polymers as active particles moving along chiral, circular paths by Brownian dynamics simulations and a Boltzmann approach. Our two conceptually different methods point to a generic phase behavior. At intermediate particle densities, we find self-organization into vortex structures including closed rings. Moreover, we show that the dynamics at the onset of pattern formation is described by a generalized complex Ginzburg-Landau equation.
authors.affiliation: Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics (ASC) and Center for NanoScience (CeNS), Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstrasse 37, D-80333 München, Germany.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Denk
authors.affiliation: Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics (ASC) and Center for NanoScience (CeNS), Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstrasse 37, D-80333 München, Germany.
authors.forename: Lorenz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.affiliation: Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics (ASC) and Center for NanoScience (CeNS), Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstrasse 37, D-80333 München, Germany.
authors.forename: Emanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reithmann
authors.affiliation: Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics (ASC) and Center for NanoScience (CeNS), Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstrasse 37, D-80333 München, Germany.
authors.forename: Erwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frey
mesh_terms: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D008566:Membranes; D011108:Polymers
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D011108:Polymers