Polymers collapse dynamics

The nature of the solvent influences both the structure of the polymer in solution and its dynamics. In good solvents the polymer adopts an expanded configuration and in poor solvents it takes on a compact form. If the polymer solution is suddenly changed from good to poor solvent conditions, polymer collapse from the expanded to compact forms will occur [78], A number of models have been suggested for the mechanism of the collapse [79-82], Hydrodynamic interactions are expected to play an important part in the dynamics of the collapse and we show how MPC simulations have been used to investigate this problem. Hybrid MD-MPC simulations of the collapse dynamics have been carried out for systems where bead-solvent interactions are either explicitly included [83] or accounted for implicitly in the multiparticle collision events [84, 85]. 

The effect of hydrodynamic interactions on polymer collapse has also been studied using MPC dynamics, where the polymer beads are included in the multiparticle collision step [28, 84]. Hydrodynamic interactions can be turned off by replacing multiparticle collisions in the cells by sampling of the particle velocities from a Boltzmann distribution. Collapse occurs more rapidly in the... 

Equilibrium properties of the collapse transition and the relationship between polymer size and solvent quality are studied widely, and are addressed in the previous section, but up to now less is known about the collapse dynamics. There has been a... 

The parameter /r tunes the stiffness of the potential. It is chosen such that the repulsive part of the Leimard-Jones potential makes a crossing of bonds highly improbable (e.g., k= 30). This off-lattice model has a rather realistic equation of state and reproduces many experimental features of polymer solutions. Due to the attractive interactions the model exhibits a liquid-vapour coexistence, and an isolated chain undergoes a transition from a self-avoiding walk at high temperatures to a collapsed globule at low temperatures. Since all interactions are continuous, the model is tractable by Monte Carlo simulations as well as by molecular dynamics. Generalizations of the Leimard-Jones potential to anisotropic pair interactions are available e.g., the Gay-Beme potential [29]. This latter potential has been employed to study non-spherical particles that possibly fomi liquid crystalline phases. 

The cellular cytoskeleton, primarily composed of microfilaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments, provides structural support and enables cell motility. The cytoskeleton is composed of biological polymers and is not static. Rather, it is capable of dynamic reassembly in less than a minute [136], The cytoskeleton is built from three key components, the actin filaments, the intermediate filaments, and the microtubules. The filaments are primarily responsible for maintaining cell shape, whereas the microtubules can be seen as the load-bearing elements that prevent a cell from collapsing [136], The cytoskeleton protects cellular structures and connects mechanotransductive pathways. Along with mechanical support, the cytoskeleton plays a critical role in many biological processes. 

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