Stress-Enhanced Gelation: A Dynamic Nonlinearity of Elasticity

Norman Y. Yao, Chase P. Broedersz, Martin Depken, Daniel J. Becker, Martin R. Pollak, Frederick C. MacKintosh, and David A. Weitz
Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 018103 – Published 3 January 2013

Abstract

A hallmark of biopolymer networks is their sensitivity to stress, reflected by pronounced nonlinear elastic stiffening. Here, we demonstrate a distinct dynamical nonlinearity in biopolymer networks consisting of filamentous actin cross-linked by α-actinin-4. Applied stress delays the onset of relaxation and flow, markedly enhancing gelation and extending the regime of solidlike behavior to much lower frequencies. We show that this macroscopic network response can be accounted for at the single molecule level by the increased binding affinity of the cross-linker under load, characteristic of catch-bond-like behavior.

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  • Received 13 March 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.018103

© 2013 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Norman Y. Yao1, Chase P. Broedersz2,3, Martin Depken2, Daniel J. Becker4, Martin R. Pollak5, Frederick C. MacKintosh2, and David A. Weitz1,6

  • 1Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
  • 2Department of Physics and Astronomy, VU University, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • 3Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics and the Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
  • 4Department of Medicine, Renal Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
  • 5Department of Internal Medicine/Nephrology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
  • 6Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA

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Vol. 110, Iss. 1 — 4 January 2013

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