A Mechanistic View of Collective Filament Motion in Active Nematic Networks (Biophysical Journal)

Protein filament networks are structures crucial for force generation and cell shape. A central open question is how collective filament dynamics emerges from interactions between individual network constituents. To address this question, we study a minimal but generic model for a nematic network in which filament sliding is driven by the action of motor proteins. Our theoretical analysis shows how the interplay between viscous drag on filaments and motor-induced forces governs force propagation through such interconnected filament networks.