dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaStiffening of semiflexible biopolymers and cross-linked networks
| Authors | T. Van Dillen, P. R. Onck, E. Van der Giessen |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0611230 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0611230 |
Abstract
We study the mechanical stiffening behavior in two-dimensional (2D) cross-linked networks of semiflexible biopolymer filaments under simple shear. Filamental constituents immersed in a fluid undergo thermally excited bending motions. Pulling out these undulations results in an increase in the axial stiffness. We analyze this stiffening behavior of 2D semiflexible filaments in detail: we first investigate the average, {static} force-extension relation by considering the initially present undulated configuration that is pulled straight under a tensile force, and compare this result with the average response in which undulation dynamics is allowed during pulling, as derived earlier by MacKintosh and coworkers. We will show that the resulting mechanical behavior is rather similar, but with the axial stiffness being a factor 2 to 4 larger in the dynamic model. Furthermore, we study the stretching contribution in case of extensible filaments and show that, for 2D filaments, the mechanical response is dominated by {enthalpic} stretching. Based on the single-filament mechanics, we develop a 2D analytical model describing the mechanical behavior of biopolymer networks under simple shear, adopting the affine deformation assumption. These results are compared with discrete, finite-element (FE) calculations of a network consisting of semiflexible filaments. The FE calculations show that local, nonaffine filament reorientations occur that induce a transition from a bending-dominated response at small strains to a stretching-dominated response at larger strains. Stiffening in biopolymer networks thus results from a combination of stiffening in individual filaments and changes in the network topography.
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"date_created": "2026-03-02T18:01:13.933000Z",
"date_modified": "2026-03-02T18:01:13.933000Z",
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"abstract": "We study the mechanical stiffening behavior in two-dimensional (2D)\ncross-linked networks of semiflexible biopolymer filaments under simple shear.\nFilamental constituents immersed in a fluid undergo thermally excited bending\nmotions. Pulling out these undulations results in an increase in the axial\nstiffness. We analyze this stiffening behavior of 2D semiflexible filaments in\ndetail: we first investigate the average, {static} force-extension relation by\nconsidering the initially present undulated configuration that is pulled\nstraight under a tensile force, and compare this result with the average\nresponse in which undulation dynamics is allowed during pulling, as derived\nearlier by MacKintosh and coworkers. We will show that the resulting mechanical\nbehavior is rather similar, but with the axial stiffness being a factor 2 to 4\nlarger in the dynamic model. Furthermore, we study the stretching contribution\nin case of extensible filaments and show that, for 2D filaments, the mechanical\nresponse is dominated by {enthalpic} stretching. Based on the single-filament\nmechanics, we develop a 2D analytical model describing the mechanical behavior\nof biopolymer networks under simple shear, adopting the affine deformation\nassumption. These results are compared with discrete, finite-element (FE)\ncalculations of a network consisting of semiflexible filaments. The FE\ncalculations show that local, nonaffine filament reorientations occur that\ninduce a transition from a bending-dominated response at small strains to a\nstretching-dominated response at larger strains. Stiffening in biopolymer\nnetworks thus results from a combination of stiffening in individual filaments\nand changes in the network topography.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0611230",
"authors": [
"T. Van Dillen",
"P. R. Onck",
"E. Van der Giessen"
],
"categories": [
"physics.bio-ph"
],
"title": "Stiffening of semiflexible biopolymers and cross-linked networks",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0611230"
},
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"variant": "snapshot-2026-03-01",
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