Eur. Phys. J. E (2013) 36: 52
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2013-13052-9

Regular Article

The actin cortex as an active wetting layer

¹ Physico Chimie Curie (Institut Curie, Cnrs UMR 168, UPMC), Institut Curie Centre de Recherche, 26 rue d’Ulm, 75248, Paris Cedex 05, France
² Theoretische Physik, Universität des Saarlandes, Postfach 151150, 66041, Saarbrücken, Germany
³ ESPCI, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005, Paris, France
⁴ TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 21 Brundavan Complex, Narsingi, 500 075, Hyderabad, India

^* e-mail: k.kruse@physik.uni-saarland.de

Received: 20 February 2013
Accepted: 19 April 2013
Published online: 28 May 2013

Abstract

Using active gel theory we study theoretically the properties of the cortical actin layer of animal cells. The cortical layer is described as a non-equilibrium wetting film on the cell membrane. The actin density is approximately constant in the layer and jumps to zero at its edge. The layer thickness is determined by the ratio of the polymerization velocity and the depolymerization rate of actin.