Direct detection of deformation modes on varying length scales in active biopolymer networks.

ABSTRACT: Correlated flows and forces that emerge from active matter orchestrate complex processes such as shape regulation and deformations in biological cells and tissues. The active materials central to cellular mechanics are cytoskeletal networks, where molecular motor activity drives deformations and remodeling. Here, we investigate deformation modes in contractile actin networks driven by the molecular motor myosin II through quantitative fluorescence microscopy. We examine the deformation anisotropy at different length scales in networks of sparsely cross-linked and bundled actin. In sparsely cross-linked networks, we find myosin-dependent biaxial buckling modes across length scales. Interestingly, both long and short-wavelength buckling may contribute to network contractility. In cross-linke

SUBMITTER: Stam S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10245561 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature