h09 Phase 4d — F-actin bundling model (PLANNED)
Status. Not yet executed. Placeholder for references in RADA16/actin papers.
Problem. If the h09 hydrogel is to functionally replace horizontal top connectors, it must coexist with the continually treadmilling F-actin core of stereocilia. Two candidate mechanisms:
- Passive coexistence (scaffold occupies space between actin cores; minimal interaction)
- Active bundling (WH2-like motifs in scaffold that grip F-actin sides, integrating scaffold with turnover dynamics)
Method (planned).
- WH2 sequence survey for grafting onto RADA16-class scaffolds
- Molecular dynamics of scaffold + F-actin side-binding
- Bundling assay in cell-free system
Expected verdict gates. GREEN if bundle-coherence metric at 7-day simulated turnover > threshold X.
Connections
[part-of]index[applies]Actin Treadmilling Stereocilia[source]2026-04-23-chereau-wh2-actin-pnas[source]2026-04-23-husson-wh2-multifunctionality[source]2026-04-23-dominguez-2016-wh2-nucleation-review