@article {doi:10.4161/19490992.2014.989035,
	title = {Emergent properties of composite semiflexible biopolymer networks},
	journal = {BioArchitecture},
	volume = {4},
	number = {4-5},
	year = {2015},
	note = {
	[*Equal contribution]

},
	pages = {138-143},
	abstract = {
	The semiflexible polymers filamentous actin (F-actin) and intermediate filaments (IF) both form complex networks within the cell, and together are key determinants of cellular stiffness. While the mechanics of F-actin networks together with stiff microtubules have been characterized, the interplay between F-actin and IF networks is largely unknown, necessitating the study of composite networks using mixtures of semiflexible biopolymers. We employ bulk rheology in a simplified\&nbsp;in vitro\&nbsp;system to uncover the fundamental mechanical interactions between networks of the 2 semiflexible polymers, F-actin and vimentin IF. Surprisingly, co-polymerization of actin and vimentin can produce composite networks either stronger or weaker than pure F-actin networks. We show that this effect occurs through steric constraints imposed by IF on F-actin during network formation and filament crosslinking, highlighting novel emergent behavior in composite semiflexible networks.

},
	doi = {10.4161/19490992.2014.989035},
	url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.4161/19490992.2014.989035},
	author = {Jensen, Mikkel H. and Morris, Eliza J. and Robert D. Goldman and Weitz, David A}
}
