Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41730871›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Mechanochemical feedback between confinement and actin crosslinking drives the shape dynamics of liquid-like droplets.

Daniel Mansour, Dominique Jordan, Caleb Walker, Aravind Chandrasekaran, Christopher T Lee, Kristin Graham, Jeanne C Stachowiak, Padmini Rangamani

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Daniel MansourDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-0518-0407
Dominique JordanBiomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-1355-4573
Caleb WalkerBiomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Aravind ChandrasekaranDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Christopher T LeeDepartment of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0670-2308
Kristin GrahamBiomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6523-7143
Jeanne C StachowiakBiomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA. jcstach@austin.utexas.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2501-142X
Padmini RangamaniDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. prangamani@ucsd.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5953-4347

Funding

Protein Networks as Synergistic Drivers of Membrane RemodelingR35GM139531 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · PI Jeanne Casstevens Stachowiak · 2021 to 2026
$4.0M
Molecular Biophysics Training Grant at UC San DiegoT32GM139795 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI Galia Debelouchina, ELIZABETH A. KOMIVES · 2021 to 2026
$3.0M
Comprehensive Training Program in Imaging Science and InformaticsT32EB007507 · NIBIB · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · PI MARKEY, MIA K, RYLANDER, HENRY GRADY · 2009 to 2024
$2.7M
National Science Foundation (NSF) DMR-2308817National Science Foundation (NSF) MCB 2327243National Science Foundation (NSF) MCB 2327244NIBIB NIH HHS T32 EB007507NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM139531NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM139795U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH) R35GM139531
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Several actin-binding proteins form phase-separated condensates that promote actin filament assembly and bundling. However, the mechanism by which crosslinker multivalency, actin growth, and condensate mechanics regulate actin organization and droplet shape is not well understood. Here, using a combination of agent-based simulations and experiments, we show that a dynamically deformable droplet interface enables the emergence of tightly-bundled actin rings and weakly-bundled actin discs. We find that crosslinked bundle thickness and droplet diameter follow a power law, consistent with measurements in condensates formed by vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein. In addition, the dynamics of droplet deformation exhibit a dynamic snapping behavior that depends on droplet surface tension and crosslinker binding kinetics. We assess the generalizability of these predictions in condensates formed by lamellipodin and RGG. Together, these results indicate that mechanochemical feedback between droplet interfacial mechanics and crosslinker multivalency tunes actin organization and controls the dynamics of droplet deformation driven by actin networks.

Indexed as

Actin CytoskeletonActinsAnimalsCross-Linking ReagentsKineticsMicrofilament ProteinsPhosphoproteinsSurface TensionVasodilator-Stimulated PhosphoproteinActinsCross-Linking ReagentsMicrofilament ProteinsPhosphoproteins

Identifiers

PMID41730871
PMCPMC13039813

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.