Entropic forces drive contraction of cytoskeletal networks

摘要: The cytoskeleton is a network of interconnected protein filaments, which provide three-dimensional scaffold for cells. Remodeling the important key cellular processes, such as cell motility, division, or morphogenesis. This remodeling traditionally considered to be driven exclusively by processes consuming chemical energy, dynamics filaments action molecular motors. Here, we review two mechanisms cytoskeletal that are independent consumption energy. In both cases directed motion overlapping entropic forces, arise from harnessing thermal energy present in solution. Entropic forces induced either macromolecular crowding agents diffusible crosslinkers confined regions where overlap. Both increase filament overlap length and lead contraction networks. These force-generating mechanisms, together with energy-dependent need comprehensive quantitative picture networks