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Mechanical stress induced by the polymerization of an active gel near a surface

Kristiana Mihali, Dennis Wörthmüller*, and Pierre Sens†

  • *Contact author: dennis.worthmuller@curie.fr
  • †Contact author: pierre.sens@curie.fr
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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 033308 – Published 14 September, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/6nx5-yg9j

Abstract

Actin flow in the cortical cytoskeleton underneath the cell membrane generates mechanical stresses that shape the cell surface. We study this mechanism using a hydrodynamic model of a compressible active gel polymerizing at the membrane and undergoing turnover. We determine how actin flow, density relaxation, and friction of actin with the membrane generate stress on a corrugated membrane at the linear order in deformation. Analytical solutions in limiting regimes, combined with finite element methods in the general case, provide a map of normal and tangential stresses as functions of compressibility, interfacial friction, and actin turnover, and determine the conditions under which actin polymerization can render the membrane linearly unstable. The nonlinear regime is also briefly discussed.

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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 033308– Published 14 September, 2026
  • Received 12 May 2026
  • Accepted 15 July 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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