期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：2005
卷号：102
期号：22
页码：7847-7852
DOI：10.1073/pnas.0502121102
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：By using a simple assay composed of purified proteins, we studied the spontaneous polarization of actin networks polymerizing on spherical beads, which subsequently undergo movement. We show evidence that this symmetry breaking is based on the release of elastic energy, analogous to the fracture of polymer gels. The dynamics of this process and the thickness at which it occurs depend on the growth rate and mechanical properties of the actin gel. We explain our experimental results with a model based on elasticity theory and fracture mechanics.
关键词：polymerization ; reconstituted motility medium ; gel fracture ; elasticity
