The cytoskeleton is a network of interconnected protein filaments, which provide a three-dimensional scaffold for cells. Remodeling of the cytoskeleton is important for key cellular processes, such as cell motility, division, or morphogenesis. This remodeling is traditionally considered to be driven exclusively by processes consuming chemical energy, such as the dynamics of the filaments or the action of molecular motors. Here, we review two mechanisms of cytoskeletal network remodeling that are independent of the consumption of chemical energy. In both cases directed motion of overlapping filaments is driven by entropic forces, which arise from harnessing thermal energy present in solution. Entropic forces are induced either by macromolecular crowding agents or by diffusible crosslinkers confined to the regions where filaments overlap. Both mechanisms increase filament overlap length and lead to the contraction of filament networks. These force-generating mechanisms, together with the chemical energy-dependent mechanisms, need to be considered for the comprehensive quantitative picture of the remodeling of cytoskeletal networks in cells.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 7. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 17 August 2026.
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#7,117,595
of 34,152,035 outputs
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#1,002
of 3,402 outputs
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#80,951
of 338,431 outputs
Outputs of similar age from BioEssays
#5
of 29 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 34,152,035 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done well and is in the 79th percentile: it's in the top 25% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 3,402 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 11.4. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 70% of its peers.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 29 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 82% of its contemporaries.
