Patterning of polar active filaments on a tense cylindrical membrane

TL;DR

This paper models the behavior of polar active filaments on cylindrical cell membranes, revealing spontaneous pattern formations like rings and cables, influenced by curvature and contractility, with predictions applicable to biological systems.

Contribution

It introduces a hydrodynamic model that captures the emergence of complex filament patterns on cylindrical membranes, highlighting the role of curvature and contractility in pattern dynamics.

Findings

Spontaneous formation of rings and cables on cylinders.

Contractility causes coalescence of nearby rings.

Phase transitions in patterns with changing cell diameter.

Abstract

We study the dynamics and patterning of polar contractile filaments on the surface of a cylindrical cell using active hydrodynamic equations that incorporate couplings between curvature and filament orientation. Cables and rings spontaneously emerge as steady state configurations on the cylinder, and can be stationary or moving, helical or segments moving along helical trajectories. Contractility induces coalescence of proximal rings. We observe phase transitions in the steady state patterns upon changing cell diameter and make several testable predictions. Our results are relevant to the dynamics and patterning of a variety of active biopolymers in cylindrical cells.