On the role of mechanosensitive binding dynamics in the pattern formation of active surfaces

TL;DR

This paper investigates how mechanosensitive binding dynamics of cross-linkers influence pattern formation in the cell cortex, revealing that mechanosensitivity enhances pattern diversity and supports stable contractile ring formation.

Contribution

It introduces a minimal active surface model incorporating mechanosensitive cross-linker binding, demonstrating its role in pattern formation and contractile ring stability.

Findings

Mechanosensitivity increases pattern formation versatility.

Stable contractile rings can self-organize due to mechanosensitive dynamics.

Enhanced pattern diversity observed in simulations.

Abstract

The actin cortex of an animal cell is a thin polymeric layer attached to the inner side of the plasma membrane. It plays a key role in shape regulation and pattern formation on the cellular and tissue scale and, in particular, generates the contractile ring during cell division. Experimental studies showed that the cortex is fluid-like but highly viscous on long time scales with a mechanics that is sensitively regulated by active and passive cross-linker molecules that tune active stress and shear viscosity. Here, we use an established minimal model of active surface dynamics of the cell cortex supplemented with the experimentally motivated feature of mechanosensitivity in cross-linker binding dynamics. Performing linear stability analysis and computer simulations, we show that cross-linker mechanosensitivity significantly enhances the versatility of pattern formation and enables self-organized formation of stable contractile rings.