Structural Polymorphism of the Cytoskeleton: A Model of Linker-Assisted Filament Aggregation

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical model explaining how linker proteins influence actin filament organization, leading to different cytoskeletal structures such as networks or bundles, depending on physical parameters.

Contribution

It introduces a model that predicts phase diagrams of filament organization based on linker interactions, clarifying how cells control cytoskeletal morphology.

Findings

Linkers induce effective inter-rod attraction affecting filament organization.

Three generic phase diagrams identified: bundle-dominated, network-dominated, and mixed.

The third phase diagram occurs only within a narrow parameter range.

Abstract

The phase behavior of charged rods in the presence of inter-rod linkers is studied theoretically as a model for the equilibrium behavior underlying the organization of actin filaments by linker proteins in the cytoskeleton. The presence of linkers in the solution modifies the effective inter-rod interaction and can lead to inter-filament attraction. Depending on the system's composition and physical properties such as linker binding energies, filaments will either orient perpendicular or parallel to each other, leading to network-like or bundled structures. We show that such a system can have one of three generic phase diagrams, one dominated by bundles, another by networks, and the third containing both bundle and network-like phases. The first two diagrams can be found over a wide range of interaction energies, while the third occurs only for a narrow range. These results provide theoretical understanding of the classification of linker proteins as bundling proteins or crosslinking proteins. In addition, they suggest possible mechanisms by which the cell may control cytoskeletal morphology.