Protein filaments: Bundles from boundaries

One of the scientists, Reymann, has reported that the spatial organization of F-actin nucleating factors can organize actin filaments into arrays very similar to those observed in live cells and reconstituted biomimetic systems using a micropatterning method. Reymann suggests that cell shape may spatially organize actin filaments and therefore regulate actin's involvement in cellular functions. The semi-flexible polymer, F-actin, has the ability to self-organize into arrays and its intrinsic bending rigidity is such that its persistence length (17 μm) is similar to its total contour length (5-15 μm). It has been reported that changes in the length of actin filaments, which results in the changes of the ratio between contour and persistence length have significant effects on the spatial organization of actin filaments. Even actin filament structures that have identical organizations may react differently under mechanical stress or strain.