[C11] Biophysics

[C11-02] Activity-Driven Transitions in 2D DNA-Microtubule Network Structures Induced by Molecular Motors

*Mahmmad Mustakim¹, Rakesh Das², Richard J Archer³, Shogo Hamada^4,6, Akira Kakugo^5,7, Tetsuya Hiraiwa¹ (1. Institute Of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei (Taiwan), 2. Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden (Germany), 3. Department of Robotics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan), 4. Department of Computer Science, Institute of Science Tokyo, Yokohama (Japan), 5. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo (Japan), 6. Biomolecular Design Institute, CBI Research Institute, Tokyo (Japan), 7. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan))

Keywords:

2D DNA-Microtubule network,Langevin dynamics,Activity driven polymer

In recent in vitro experiments, fibrous 2D DNA networks are generated by tethering DNA templates to gliding microtubules and synthesizing DNA via rolling circle amplification. Kinesin motor proteins drive the motility of microtubules, enabling the formation of fibrous, hierarchical DNA network structures. Motivated by these findings, we perform an in silico study using coarse-grained simulations based on overdamped Langevin dynamics to explore the collective behavior of such active polymer systems. Polymers are modeled as bead-spring chains in two dimensions, with volume exclusion and connectivity potentials. To mimic the motor-driven gliding motion, self-propulsion is applied at one end of each polymer along its polarity. We vary propulsion strength, polymer length, and number to explore transitions from collapsed conformations to extended, fluctuating 2D networks. Using anisotropic shape parameters, we characterize conformational changes and construct phase diagrams capturing key transitions. Our results reveal how activity, crowding, and shape interplay to drive the emergence of dynamic network architectures, offering insight into active cytoskeletal systems and guiding the design of adaptive biomimetic materials.