相关论文: New mechanism of membrane fusion
We have carried out extensive Monte Carlo simulations of the fusion of tense apposed bilayers formed by amphiphilic molecules within the framework of a coarse grained lattice model. The fusion pathway differs from the usual stalk mechanism.…
Self-consistent field theory is used to determine structural and energetic properties of metastable intermediates and unstable transition states involved in the standard stalk mechanism of bilayer membrane fusion. A microscopic model of…
We use self-consistent field theory to determine structural and energetic properties of intermediates and transition states involved in bilayer membrane fusion. In particular, we extend our original calculations from those of the standard…
We propose that the first stage of membrane fusion need not be the formation of a single stalk. Instead, we consider a scenario for defect-induced membrane fusion that proceeds cooperatively via multiple stalk formation. The defects (stalks…
One approach to the understanding of fusion in cells and model membranes involves stalk formation and expansion of the hemifusion diaphragm. We predict theoretically the initiation of hemifusion by stalk expansion and the dynamics of…
We investigate pores in fluid membranes by molecular dynamics simulations of an amphiphile-solvent mixture, using a molecular coarse-grained model. The amphiphilic membranes self-assemble into a lamellar stack of amphiphilic bilayers…
We calculate the characteristic energies of fusion between planar bilayers as afunction of the distance between them, measured from the hydrophobic/hydrophilic interface of one of the two nearest, cis, leaves to the other. The two leaves of…
The behavior of lipid bilayer is important to understand the functionality of cells like the trafficking of ions between cells. Standard procedures to explore the properties of lipid bilayer and hemifused states typically use either…
We extend previous work on homogeneous bilayers to calculate the barriers to fusion of planar bilayers which contain two different amphiphiles, a lamellae-former and a hexagonal former, with different compositions of the twoin each leaf.…
A phase field model with two phase fields, representing the concentration and the head-tail separation of amphiphilic molecules, respectively, has been constructed using an extension of the Ohta-Kawasaki model (Macromolecules 19, 2621-2632…
Computer simulations of coarse-grained molecular models for amphiphilic systems can provide insight into the the structure of amphiphiles at interfaces. They can help to identify the factors that determine the phase behavior, and they can…
Under dehydration conditions, amphipathic Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) proteins fold spontaneously from a random conformation into alpha-helical structures and this transition is promoted by the presence of membranes. To gain insight…
We use a simple and efficient computer model to investigate the physical properties of bilayer membranes. The amphiphilic molecules are modeled as short rigid trimers with finite range pair interactions between them. The pair potentials…
Vesicle fusion is an important process underlying cell division, transport, and membrane trafficking. In phospholipid systems, a range of fusogens including divalent cations and depletants have been shown to induce adhesion, hemifusion, and…
Binary mixtures of amphiphiles in solution can self-assemble into a wide range of structures when the two species individually form aggregates of different curvatures. A specific example of this is seen in solutions of lipid mixtures where…
We propose a simple mechanism for the self-replication of protocells. Our main hypothesis is that the amphiphilic molecules composing the membrane bilayer are synthesised inside the protocell through globally exothermic chemical reactions.…
The phase behaviour of amphiphilic multiblock copolymers with a large number of blocks in semidilute solutions is studied by lattice Monte Carlo simulations. The influence on the resulting structures of the concentration, the solvent…
We describe a simple coarse-grained model which is suited to study lipid layers and their phase transitions. Lipids are modeled by short semiflexible chains of beads with a solvophilic head and a solvophobic tail component. They are forced…
We reproduce the symmetric and asymmetric ``rippled'' $P_{\beta'}$ states of lipid membranes by Monte Carlo simulations of a coarse-grained molecular model for lipid-solvent mixtures. The structure and properties compare favorably with…
The liquid crystalline model biomembrane system consisting of a stack of interacting membranes is studied by the newly developed Fourier Monte Carlo simulation technique. In comparison to perturbation theory, substantial quantitative…