The microtubule cortical array is a structure consisting of highly aligned microtubules , observed in all growing plant cells, which plays a crucial role in the characteristic plant cell growth by uniaxial expansion along the axis perpendicular to the microtubules. To investigate the orientational ordering of microtubulesin this system, we present both a coarse-grained theoretical model and stochastic particle-based simulations  , and compare the results from these complementary approaches. Our results indicate that collisions that induce depolymerization are the main driving factor in the alignment of microtubules in the cortical array.
The cortical array is a structure consisting of highly aligned microtubules which plays a crucial role in the characteristic uniaxial expansion of all growing plant cells. Recent experiments have shown polymerization-driven collisions between the membrane-bound cortical microtubules, suggesting a possible mechanism for their alignment. We present both a coarse-grained theoretical model and stochastic particle-based simulations of this mechanism , and compare the results from these complementary approaches. Our results indicate that collisions that induce depolymerization are sufficient to generate the alignment of microtubules in the cortical array.
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microtubule
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, observed in all growing plant cells,
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plant cell growth by uniaxial expansion along the axis perpendicular to the microtubules. To investigate the orientational ordering of microtubulesin this system, we
uniaxial expansion of all growing plant cells. Recent experiments have shown polymerization-driven collisions between the membrane-bound cortical microtubules, suggesting a possible mechanism for their alignment. We
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of this mechanism
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the main driving factor in
sufficient to generate