{
  "abstract": "Proteins can combine into functional elements in living cells or self-assemble into unwanted structures in a number of diseases. The resulting aggregates often display filamentous morphologies across a large range of protein shapes and molecular interactions. This has led to the suggestion that filament formation could be a generic outcome of the aggregation of geometrically complex, ill-fitting objects, although such a mechanism has not been demonstrated in three dimensions. To address this problem, we theoretically study the self-assembly of three-dimensional identical, ill-fitting deformable subunits mimicking globular proteins in solution. In our model, self-assembling subunits incur deformations that accumulate as the aggregate size increases and can eventually hamper further assembly. We analytically predict the ground state morphologies of the resulting aggregates as a function of the subunit adhesivity and elasticity by mapping their mechanics onto those of two incompatible, interconnected networks. We find that zero-dimensional clusters, three-dimensional bulks as well as symmetry-broken one-dimensional filaments and two-dimensional layers can all form depending on assembly parameters. Poorly compressible, moderately adhesive subunits favor filaments. These findings hint at a generic pathway to control self-assembly in three dimensions and suggests that such mechanisms could be investigated in more realistic protein models.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2604.01109",
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Elena N. Govorun"
    },
    {
      "name": "Martin Lenz"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b5rahx3w669h4.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2604.01109",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "b5rahx3w669h4",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://hal.science/hal-05779497v1",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "hal",
      "0.phys"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2502|Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Materials"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7148490883",
  "pdf_url": "https://hal.science/hal-05779497/document",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-05",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b5rahx3w669h4.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:48Z",
      "native_id": "hal-05779497",
      "source": "hal",
      "url": "https://hal.science/hal-05779497v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:2502|Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Materials",
      "subfield": "materials-polymers"
    }
  ],
  "title": "High-symmetry ill-fitting subunits in 3D form aggregates of all dimensions",
  "title_text": "High-symmetry ill-fitting subunits in 3D form aggregates of all dimensions",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:48Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b5rahx3w669h4",
  "venue": "HAL",
  "versions": []
}