title: Morphological Transformation and Force Generation of Active Cytoskeletal Networks.
abstract: Cells assemble numerous types of actomyosin bundles that generate contractile forces for biological processes, such as cytokinesis and cell migration. One example of contractile bundles is a transverse arc that forms via actomyosin-driven condensation of actin filaments in the lamellipodia of migrating cells and exerts significant forces on the surrounding environments. Structural reorganization of a network into a bundle facilitated by actomyosin contractility is a physiologically relevant and biophysically interesting process. Nevertheless, it remains elusive how actin filaments are reoriented, buckled, and bundled as well as undergo tension buildup during the structural reorganization. In this study, using an agent-based computational model, we demonstrated how the interplay between the density of myosin motors and cross-linking proteins and the rigidity, initial orientation, and turnover of actin filaments regulates the morphological transformation of a cross-linked actomyosin network into a bundle and the buildup of tension occurring during the transformation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Polytechnic University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Tamara Carla
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7096-4839
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Bidone
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America.
authors.forename: Wonyeong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maruri
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3784-1140
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Borau
authors.affiliation: Departments of Biological Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Roger D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Kamm
authors.affiliation: Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America.
authors.forename: Taeyoon
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5588-8532
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000205:Actomyosin / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D055119:Elastic Modulus / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D000205:Actomyosin