Controlling the morphology of F -actin cytoskeleton: A simulation study

F-actin is the major constituent of the cell cytoskeleton. Inside living cells, the F-actin cytoskeleton can exist in different morphological states. The careful control of the cytoskeletal morphology is vital to many cellular processes, such as cell locomotion and cell division. One way to control the morphology is by changing the concentration of linking agents, such as actin binding proteins (ABP) or oppositely-charged multivalent ions. In vitro experiments have shown that F-actin self-assembles into networks or bundles in the presence of such linking agents. To understand this type of self-assembly process, we systematically study the complexation of F-actin by multivalent ions using computer simulation. Another way to control the morphology is by controlling the growth kinetics of F-actin using various regulatory proteins. To study this dynamical self-assembly, we focus on a particular set of regulatory process that is vital for cell motility called dendritic nucleation. We develop both analytic model and simulation model for the dendritic nucleation processes and we explain how motility can arise