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The influence of membrane bound proteins on phase separation and coarsening in cell membranes

A theoretical explanation of the existence of lipid rafts in cell membranes remains a topic of lively debate. Large, micrometer sized rafts are readily observed in artificial membranes and can be explained using thermodynamic models for phase separation and coarsening. In live cells such domains are not observed and various models are proposed to describe why the systems do not coarsen. We review these attempts critically and show within a phase field approach that membrane bound proteins have the potential to explain the different behaviour observed in vitro and in vivo. Large scale simulations are performed to compute scaling laws and size distribution functions under the influence of membrane bound proteins and to observe a significant slow down of the domain coarsening at longer times and a breakdown of the self-similarity of the size-distribution function. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa.de:bsz:14-qucosa-139226
Date07 April 2014
CreatorsWitkowski, Thomas, Backofen, Rainer, Voigt, Axel
ContributorsRoyal Society of Chemistry,
PublisherSaechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden
Source SetsHochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typedoc-type:article
Formatapplication/pdf
SourcePhysical chemistry, chemical physics 2012;14:14509–14515, ISSN: 1463-9076

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