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arXiv · 2303.03088

Transverse fluctuations control the assembly of semiflexible filaments

Valerio Sorichetti·Martin Lenz
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Abstract

The kinetics of the assembly of semiflexible filaments through end-to-end annealing is key to the structure of the cytoskeleton, but is not understood. We analyze this problem through scaling theory and simulations, and uncover a regime where filaments ends find each other through bending fluctuations without the need for the whole filament to diffuse. This results in a very substantial speed-up of assembly in physiological regimes, and could help understand the dynamics of actin and intermediate filaments in biological processes such as wound healing and cell division.

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Valerio Sorichetti, Martin Lenz. 2023-03-06. Transverse fluctuations control the assembly of semiflexible filaments. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.131.228401

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