Length Regulation Drives Self-Organization in Filament-Motor Mixtures

TL;DR

This paper presents a minimal model demonstrating how length regulation by motors leads to self-organization and cluster formation in filament-motor mixtures, revealing emergent collective behaviors without mechanical interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a combined agent-based and hydrodynamic model showing resource-limited length regulation causes filament clustering and collective orientation.

Findings

Filament clusters form due to length regulation mechanisms.

Collective filament orientation emerges orthogonal to cluster interfaces.

Clusters form despite absence of mechanical filament interactions.

Abstract

Cytoskeletal networks form complex intracellular structures. Here we investigate a minimal model for filament-motor mixtures in which motors act as depolymerases and thereby regulate filament length. Combining agent-based simulations and hydrodynamic equations, we show that resource-limited length regulation drives the formation of filament clusters despite the absence of mechanical interactions between filaments. Even though the orientation of individual remains fixed, collective filament orientation emerges in the clusters, aligned orthogonal to their interfaces.