Active Microphase Separation in Mixtures of Microtubules and Tip-Accumulating Molecular Motors.

ABSTRACT: Mixtures of filaments and molecular motors form active materials with diverse dynamical behaviors that vary based on their constituents' molecular properties. To develop a multiscale of these materials, we map the nonequilibrium phase diagram of microtubules and tip-accumulating kinesin-4 molecular motors. We find that kinesin-4 can drive either global contractions or turbulentlike extensile dynamics, depending on the concentrations of both microtubules and a bundling agent. We also observe a range of spatially heterogeneous nonequilibrium phases, including finite-sized radial asters, 1D wormlike chains, extended 2D bilayers, and system-spanning 3D active foams. Finally, we describe intricate kinetic pathways that yield microphase separated structures and arise from the inherent frustratio

SUBMITTER: Lemma B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9835929 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul-Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature