Motivated by the formation of ringlike filament structures in the cortex of plant and animal cells, we study the dynamics of a two-dimensional layer of cytoskeletal filaments and motor proteins near a surface by a general continuum theory. As a result of active processes, dynamic patterns of filament orientation and density emerge via instabilities. We show that self-organization phenomena can lead to the formation of stationary and oscillating rings. We present state diagrams that reveal a rich scenario of asymptotic behaviors and discuss the role of boundary conditions

doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.95.258103
Phys. Rev. Lett.
Theory of Biomolecular Matter

Zumdieck, A., Cosentino Lagomarsino, M., Tanase, C., Kruse, K., Mulder, B., Dogterom, M., & Jülicher, F. (2005). Continuum description of the cytoskeleton: ring formation in the cell cortex. Phys.Rev.Lett., 95(Article number: 258103), 1–4. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.95.258103