Mean-field theory approach to three-dimensional nematic phase transitions in microtubules
(2023) In Physical Review E 108(6).- Abstract
Microtubules are dynamic intracellular fibers that have been observed experimentally to undergo spontaneous self-alignment. We formulate a three-dimensional (3D) mean-field theory model to analyze the nematic phase transition of microtubules growing and interacting within a 3D space, then make a comparison with computational simulations. We identify a control parameter Geff and predict a unique critical value Geff=1.56 for which a phase transition can occur. Furthermore, we show both analytically and using simulations that this predicted critical value does not depend on the presence of zippering. The mean-field theory developed here provides an analytical estimate of microtubule patterning characteristics without running time-consuming... (More)
Microtubules are dynamic intracellular fibers that have been observed experimentally to undergo spontaneous self-alignment. We formulate a three-dimensional (3D) mean-field theory model to analyze the nematic phase transition of microtubules growing and interacting within a 3D space, then make a comparison with computational simulations. We identify a control parameter Geff and predict a unique critical value Geff=1.56 for which a phase transition can occur. Furthermore, we show both analytically and using simulations that this predicted critical value does not depend on the presence of zippering. The mean-field theory developed here provides an analytical estimate of microtubule patterning characteristics without running time-consuming simulations and is a step towards bridging scales from microtubule behavior to multicellular simulations.
(Less)
- author
- Gibson, Cameron ; Jönsson, Henrik LU and Spelman, Tamsin A.
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Physical Review E
- volume
- 108
- issue
- 6
- article number
- 064414
- publisher
- American Physical Society
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:38243538
- scopus:85182406710
- ISSN
- 2470-0045
- DOI
- 10.1103/PhysRevE.108.064414
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 77b2deb6-569c-4494-b2bb-c21a54c8e612
- date added to LUP
- 2024-02-13 15:32:55
- date last changed
- 2024-04-15 02:21:36
@article{77b2deb6-569c-4494-b2bb-c21a54c8e612,
abstract = {{<p>Microtubules are dynamic intracellular fibers that have been observed experimentally to undergo spontaneous self-alignment. We formulate a three-dimensional (3D) mean-field theory model to analyze the nematic phase transition of microtubules growing and interacting within a 3D space, then make a comparison with computational simulations. We identify a control parameter Geff and predict a unique critical value Geff=1.56 for which a phase transition can occur. Furthermore, we show both analytically and using simulations that this predicted critical value does not depend on the presence of zippering. The mean-field theory developed here provides an analytical estimate of microtubule patterning characteristics without running time-consuming simulations and is a step towards bridging scales from microtubule behavior to multicellular simulations.</p>}},
author = {{Gibson, Cameron and Jönsson, Henrik and Spelman, Tamsin A.}},
issn = {{2470-0045}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{6}},
publisher = {{American Physical Society}},
series = {{Physical Review E}},
title = {{Mean-field theory approach to three-dimensional nematic phase transitions in microtubules}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.108.064414}},
doi = {{10.1103/PhysRevE.108.064414}},
volume = {{108}},
year = {{2023}},
}