Thermodynamic law for control of biopolymer reorganization through energy consumption

Energy dissipation has been previously shown to alter structure and dynamics of non-equilbrium liquids through the renormalization of interparticle interaction strength [Tociu et al. PRX 2019]. Cytoskeletal networks are active systems that rely on complex component interactions to undergo structural changes in response to external stimuli. In this work, we address the interplay between structure and energy dissipation in a model system which transitions between aster-like and bundle-like configurations of actin filaments, which interact through the action of myosin molecular motors. Our phenomenological model and numerical simulations indicate that dynamic biasing of energy dissipation by the system induces a structural transformation similar to the one observed when a property of myosin motors, their rigidity, is modulated. These findings serve as a basis for a novel non-equilibrium thermodynamic control principle for altering the properties of complex materials through modulation of the system's energy budget.