Modeling centrosome positioning by actin--microtubule crosstalk and actin anchoring at the cell membrane
- 1Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science
Abstract
Centrosome positioning is governed by mechanical interactions between the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons, yet the contribution of different actin architectures and their attachment to the cell membrane remains unclear. We use numerical simulations to study a centrosomal array of microtubules interacting with cortical, bulk, and centrosome-associated actin networks, including passive cross-linkers, motor proteins, and ERM-mediated coupling of actin to the cell membrane. We find that bulk and centrosome-associated actin alone are insufficient for robust centrosome centering, whereas sufficiently dense cortical actin promotes centering through steric interactions with growing microtubules. ERM-mediated attachment of cortical actin to the cell membrane enhances this effect, allowing stable centering at lower actin densities. In a two-centrosome system, microtubule interactions generate a spindle-like structure, while the organization of actin and its membrane attachment through ERM regulate centrosome separation. Antagonistic microtubule motors further limit centrosome separation and establish a finite spindle length. These results demonstrate that ERM-mediated coupling of actin to the cell membrane provides an important mechanical link between the actin cortex and microtubule-driven centrosome positioning, influencing both centrosome centering and spindle geometry.
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BibTeX
@misc{biswas2026modeling,
title = {{Modeling centrosome positioning by actin--microtubule crosstalk and actin anchoring at the cell membrane}},
author = {P. K. Biswas and U. Dey and A. Sarkar and R. Paul},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.05.756642},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.05.756642v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Modeling centrosome positioning by actin--microtubule crosstalk and actin anchoring at the cell membrane
AU - P. K. Biswas
AU - U. Dey
AU - A. Sarkar
AU - R. Paul
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/05
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.10.05.756642
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.05.756642v1
AB - Centrosome positioning is governed by mechanical interactions between the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons, yet the contribution of different actin architectures and their attachment to the cell membrane remains unclear. We use numerical simulations to study a centrosomal array of microtubules interacting with cortical, bulk, and centrosome-associated actin networks, including passive cross-linkers, motor proteins, and ERM-mediated coupling of actin to the cell membrane. We find that bulk and centrosome-associated actin alone are insufficient for robust centrosome centering, whereas sufficiently dense cortical actin promotes centering through steric interactions with growing microtubules. ERM-mediated attachment of cortical actin to the cell membrane enhances this effect, allowing stable centering at lower actin densities. In a two-centrosome system, microtubule interactions generate a spindle-like structure, while the organization of actin and its membrane attachment through ERM regulate centrosome separation. Antagonistic microtubule motors further limit centrosome separation and establish a finite spindle length. These results demonstrate that ERM-mediated coupling of actin to the cell membrane provides an important mechanical link between the actin cortex and microtubule-driven centrosome positioning, influencing both centrosome centering and spindle geometry.
ER -