by J. A. Tuszynski, M. V. Sataric, S. Portet and J. M. Dixon
Abstract:
Recent space-flight experiments performed by Tabony's team provided further evidence that a microgravity environment strongly affects the spatio-temporal organization of microtubule assemblies. Characteristic time and length scales were found that govern the organization of oriented bundles under Earth's gravitational field (GF). No such organization has been observed in a microgravity environment. This paper discusses physical mechanisms resulting in pattern formation under gravity and its disappearance in microgravity. The subtle interplay between chemical kinetics, diffusion, gravitational drift, thermal fluctuations, electrostatic interactions and liquid crystalline characteristics provides a plausible scenario.
Reference:
Gravitational symmetry breaking leads to a polar liquid crystal phase of microtubules in vitro. (J. A. Tuszynski, M. V. Sataric, S. Portet and J. M. Dixon), In Journal of Biological Physics, volume 31, 2005.
Bibtex Entry:
@ARTICLE{Tuszynski2005,
author = {J. A. Tuszynski and M. V. Sataric and S. Portet and J. M. Dixon},
title = {Gravitational symmetry breaking leads to a polar liquid crystal phase
of microtubules in vitro.},
journal = {Journal of Biological Physics},
year = {2005},
volume = {31},
pages = {477--486},
number = {3-4},
month = {Dec},
abstract = {Recent space-flight experiments performed by Tabony's team provided
further evidence that a microgravity environment strongly affects
the spatio-temporal organization of microtubule assemblies. Characteristic
time and length scales were found that govern the organization of
oriented bundles under Earth's gravitational field (GF). No such
organization has been observed in a microgravity environment. This
paper discusses physical mechanisms resulting in pattern formation
under gravity and its disappearance in microgravity. The subtle interplay
between chemical kinetics, diffusion, gravitational drift, thermal
fluctuations, electrostatic interactions and liquid crystalline characteristics
provides a plausible scenario.},
doi = {10.1007/s10867-005-7284-5},
institution = {Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G
2J1 Canada.},
language = {eng},
medline-pst = {ppublish},
owner = {sportet},
pii = {7284},
pmid = {23345912},
timestamp = {2013.11.13},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10867-005-7284-5}
}