Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 018104 (2008) [4 pages]Nonequilibrium Mechanics and Dynamics of Motor-Activated GelsReceived 10 July 2007; published 8 January 2008 The mechanics of cells is strongly affected by molecular motors that generate forces in the cellular cytoskeleton. We develop a model for cytoskeletal networks driven out of equilibrium by molecular motors exerting transient contractile stresses. Using this model we show how motor activity can dramatically increase the network’s bulk elastic moduli. We also show how motor binding kinetics naturally leads to enhanced low-frequency stress fluctuations that result in nonequilibrium diffusive motion within an elastic network, as seen in recent in vitro and in vivo experiments. © 2008 The American Physical Society URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.018104
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.018104
PACS:
87.16.Ka, 62.20.D−, 87.15.La
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