Effects of Fracture Characteristics of Cross-Linking Proteins on the Mechanical Responses of Actin-Microtubule Composite Networks

GONG Bo; LIU Yuanjia; YUAN Liren; XU Wei

doi:10.21656/1000-0887.470001

Volume 47 Issue 6

Jun. 2026

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Article Navigation > Applied Mathematics and Mechanics > 2026 > 47(6): 736-749

GONG Bo, LIU Yuanjia, YUAN Liren, XU Wei. Effects of Fracture Characteristics of Cross-Linking Proteins on the Mechanical Responses of Actin-Microtubule Composite Networks[J]. Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, 2026, 47(6): 736-749. doi: 10.21656/1000-0887.470001

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Effects of Fracture Characteristics of Cross-Linking Proteins on the Mechanical Responses of Actin-Microtubule Composite Networks

doi: 10.21656/1000-0887.470001

Faculty of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, P.R. China

Funds:

The National Science Foundation of China(12202169)

Received Date: 2025-12-31
Rev Recd Date: 2026-02-03

Available Online: 2026-07-03

Publish Date: 2026-06-01

Abstract

Abstract

The mechanical properties of the cytoskeleton are crucial for maintaining cell morphology and enabling life processes such as cell movement and division. Actin filaments and microtubules, as core components of the cytoskeleton, are interconnected by cross-linking proteins to form a complex polymer network structure, of which the macroscopic mechanical behavior is closely related to the physical properties of cross-linking proteins. Based on a coarse-grained actin-microtubule composite network model, the effects of 2 key parameters of cross-linking proteins: the fracture distance threshold and the formation distance threshold, on the network’s mechanical properties were systematically investigated. The simulation results show that, the fracture distance threshold of microtubule cross-linking proteins plays a dominant role in the network’s mechanical responses: reducing this threshold leads to an overall downward shift of the stress-strain curve and a decrease in structural loading-bearing capacity. In contrast, changes in the fracture distance threshold of actin filament cross-linking proteins have a weak impact on the macroscopic mechanical behavior, and the formation distance threshold of cross-linking proteins has no significant effect on the network’s mechanical properties. This study reveals that the macroscopic mechanical properties of the actin-microtubule composite network are mainly dependent on the fracture distance threshold of cross-linking proteins while being insensitive to the formation distance threshold, providing a new sight for understanding the role of dynamic cross-linking in the mechanical stability of the cytoskeleton.
- composite actin-microtubule network,
- dynamic cross-linking,
- fracture distance,
- formation distance

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References(43)

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