Open AccessActive nematic order and dynamic lane formation of microtubules driven by membrane-bound diffusing motors
Author(s) -
Fereshteh Memarian,
Joseph Lopes,
Fabian Jan Schwarzendahl,
Madhuvanthi Guruprasad Athani,
Niranjan Sarpangala,
Ajay Gopinathan,
Daniel A. Beller,
Kinjal Dasbiswas,
Linda S. Hirst
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2117107118
Subject(s) - microtubule , kinesin , molecular motor , liquid crystal , lipid bilayer , bilayer , rotational diffusion , biophysics , motor protein , protein filament , propulsion , materials science , chemical physics , membrane , chemistry , nanotechnology , physics , biology , optoelectronics , molecule , biochemistry , organic chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , composite material , thermodynamics
Significance Active nematics are ordered liquid crystalline fluids that exhibit spontaneous persistent flows and collective dynamics. The development of motile biopolymer systems inspired by nature has recently attracted considerable attention to out-of-equilibrium soft materials. We report the formation of an active nematic in which microtubules are propelled by kinesin motors coupled to a lipid membrane substrate. The system exhibits apolar order in a globally aligned nematic phase and locally ordered dynamic lanes. Use of a fluid substrate represents a significant advance for active matter as it allows for spatial re-organization of motors, which generate force, in response to the dynamics of the aligning microtubules. This self-organized feedback mechanism may have implications in vivo and for engineering efficient dynamic and reconfigurable materials.