The interplay of different actin-binding proteins determines the structure and the mechanical properties of the cytoskeleton. Due to the biological complexity of the cytoskeleton, a separate analysis of biochemical and physical influences is only possible in well-defined model systems. In this thesis, the structure and viscoelastic properties of reconstituted actin networks were addressed and the influence of different actin binding proteins was investigated. It was shown that the microstructure of the network sets the local deformation mode and thus the macroscopic elastic response of the network. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the microscopic interaction potential between actin filaments and individual actin-binding proteins dictates the viscoelastic frequency spectrum of cross-linked actin networks.
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The interplay of different actin-binding proteins determines the structure and the mechanical properties of the cytoskeleton. Due to the biological complexity of the cytoskeleton, a separate analysis of biochemical and physical influences is only possible in well-defined model systems. In this thesis, the structure and viscoelastic properties of reconstituted actin networks were addressed and the influence of different actin binding proteins was investigated. It was shown that the microstructure...
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