Modeling morphological instabilities in lipid membranes with anchored amphiphilic polymers.
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ABSTRACT: Anchoring molecules, like amphiphilic polymers, are able to dynamically regulate membrane morphology. Such molecules insert their hydrophobic groups into the bilayer, generating a local membrane curvature. In order to minimize the elastic energy penalty, a dynamic shape instability may occur, as in the case of the curvature-driven pearling instability or the polymer-induced tubulation of lipid vesicles. We review recent works on modeling of such instabilities by means of a mesoscopic dynamic model of the phase-field kind, which take into account the bending energy of lipid bilayers.
SUBMITTER: Campelo F
PROVIDER: S-EPMC2701491 | biostudies-other | 2009 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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