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The rheology of F-actin networks has attracted a great attention during thelast years. In order to gain a complete understanding of the rheologicalproperties of these novel materials, it is necessary the study in a largedeformations regime to alter their internal structure. In this sense, Schmolleret al. 2010 showed that the reconstituted networks of F-actin crosslinked with$\alpha$-actinin unexpectedly harden when they are subjected to a cyclicalshear. This observation contradicts the expected Mullins effect observed inmost soft materials, such as rubber and living tissues, where a pronouncedsoftening is observed when they are cyclically deformed.  We think that the key to understand this stunning effect is the gelationprocess. To define it, the most relevant constituents are the chemicalcrosslinks -$\alpha$-actinin-, the physical crosslinks -introduced by theentanglement of the semiflexible network- and the interaction between them. Asa consequence of this interaction, a pre-stressed network emerges andintroduces a feedback effect, where the pre-stress also regulates the adhesionenergy of the $\alpha$-actinin, setting the structure in a metastable referenceconfiguration. Therefore, the external loads and the evolvement of the trappedstress drive the microstructural changes during the cyclic loading protocol. Inthis work, we propose a micromechanical model into the framework of nonlinearcontinuum mechanics. The mechanics of the F-actin filaments is modeled usingthe wormlike chain model for semiflexible filaments and the gelation process ismodeled as mesoscale dynamics for the $\alpha$-actinin and physicalcrosslink.The model has been validated with reported experimental results.

Microstructural model for cyclic hardening in F-actin networks crosslinked by $\alpha$-actinin