Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


Swoger_MS_thesis.pdf (3.35 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Computational Investigation of Material and Dynamic Properties of Microtubules

Swoger, Maxx Ryan
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1532108320185937

Abstract Details

2018, Master of Science, University of Akron, Physics.
Microtubules are an important component of the cytoskeleton of cells. They provide not only structural support, but also connectivity between different regions of the cell. The motor protein kinesin, for example, transports tethered cargo by walking along microtubules. Microtubules are macromolecules composed of two types of protein subunits, alpha and beta tubulin. Alternating alpha and beta units form long strands called protofilaments that are arranged with a helical pitch to form a hollow tube. This structure is responsible for the unusual mechanic and complex dynamic properties of microtubules in a liquid environment. In this work, we investigate material and dynamic properties of microtubules with computational methods. Since all-atom simulations are restricted to very short (~10 nm) sections of microtubules and very short (~10 ns) time scales, while dynamic processes span a much wider range of length and time scales, we focus on coarse-grained models: an interaction site model for Brownian dynamics simulations, a structural mechanics model for finite element calculations, and a continuum model to analyze normal modes. A comparison of mechanical properties of microtubules under an external force determined from finite element calculations and from Brownian dynamics simulations shows that the structural mechanics model describes a softer microtubule than the interaction site model. To investigate dynamic properties of microtubules in a finite-temperature liquid, we perform Brownian dynamics simulations with and without hydrodynamic interactions. After averaging out the fastest, thermal, motion, we are able to analyze transverse displacement results in terms of eigenmodes of an Euler-Bernoulli cantilever beam. Our results show that, in general, shorter microtubules have faster dynamics and that the inclusion of hydrodynamic interactions affects the slow modes of microtubules.
Jutta Luettmer-Strathmann, PhD (Advisor)
Yu-Kuang Hu, PhD (Committee Chair)
Robert R. Mallik, PhD (Committee Member)
87 p.
Biophysics; Condensed Matter Physics; Physics; Theoretical Physics
microtubule; Brownian dynamics simulation; hydrodynamic interaction; elastic properties; slow modes

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Swoger, M. R. (2018). Computational Investigation of Material and Dynamic Properties of Microtubules [Master's thesis, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1532108320185937

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Swoger, Maxx. Computational Investigation of Material and Dynamic Properties of Microtubules. 2018. University of Akron, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1532108320185937.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Swoger, Maxx. "Computational Investigation of Material and Dynamic Properties of Microtubules." Master's thesis, University of Akron, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1532108320185937

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

akron1532108320185937
257
© 2018, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Computational Investigation of Material and Dynamic Properties of Microtubules by Maxx Ryan Swoger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.