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Reconstituting and Characterizing Actin-Microtubule Composites with Tunable Motor-Driven Dynamics and Mechanics
Published on: August 25, 2022
The mechanochemistry of cytoskeletal force generation
Mirko Maraldi1, Krishna Garikipati
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA, mmaraldi@umich.edu.
Abstract:
In this communication, we propose a model to study the non-equilibrium process by which actin stress fibers develop force in contractile cells. The emphasis here is on the non-equilibrium thermodynamics, which is necessary to address the mechanics as well as the chemistry of dynamic cell contractility. In this setting, we are able to develop a framework that relates (a) the dynamics of force generation within the cell and (b) the cell's response to external stimuli to the chemical processes occurring within the cell, as well as to the mechanics of linkage between the stress fibers, focal adhesions and extracellular matrix.
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