Exciting cytoskeleton-membrane waves

R. Shlomovitz and N. S. Gov
Phys. Rev. E 78, 041911 – Published 17 October 2008

Abstract

Propagating waves on the surface of cells, over many micrometers, involve active forces. We investigate here the mechanical excitation of such waves when the membrane is perturbed by an external oscillatory force. The external perturbation may trigger the propagation of such waves away from the force application. This scheme is then suggested as a method to probe the properties of the excitable medium of the cell, and learn about the mechanisms that drive the wave propagation. We then apply these ideas to a specific model of active cellular membrane waves, demonstrating how the response of the system to the external perturbation depends on the properties of the model. The most outstanding feature that we find is that the excited waves exhibit a resonance phenomenon at the frequency corresponding to the tendency of the system to develop a linear instability. Mechanical excitation of membrane waves in cells at different frequencies can therefore be used to characterize the properties of the mechanism underlying the existence of these waves.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 30 July 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.78.041911

©2008 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

R. Shlomovitz and N. S. Gov

  • Department of Chemical Physics, The Weizmann Institute of Science, P. O. Box 26, Rehovot, Israel 76100

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 78, Iss. 4 — October 2008

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review E

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×