Pattern formation and the mechanics of a motor-driven filamentous system confined by cell membranes

Pattern formation and the mechanics of actin filaments and myosin motors that are confined by a membrane are investigated. By using a coarse-grained molecular dynamics model, we demonstrate that the competition between depletion force and motor active force gives rise to actin accumulation in the membrane vicinity. The actomyosin structure exerts pressure on the membrane, that converges to a constant for large motor active force due to nematic alignment. The results are unaltered by filament length and membrane curvature, indicating the universality of the phenomena. Thus, this study provides a novel mechanism behind the self-organization of a motor-driven cytoskeletal network into higher-order structures.