Protein-induced membrane curvature changes membrane tension

Adsorption of proteins onto membranes can alter the local membrane curvature. This phenomenon has been observed in biological processes such as endocytosis, tubulation and vesiculation. However, it is not clear how the local surface properties of the membrane, such as membrane tension, change in response to protein adsorption. In this paper, we show that the classical elastic model of lipid membranes cannot account for simultaneous changes in shape and membrane tension due to protein adsorption in a local region, and a viscous-elastic formulation is necessary to fully describe the system. Therefore, we develop a viscous-elastic model for inhomogeneous membranes of the Helfrich type. Using the new viscous-elastic model, we find that the lipids flow to accommodate changes in membrane curvature during protein adsorption. We show that, at the end of protein adsorption process, the system sustains a residual local tension to balance the difference between the actual mean curvature and the imposed spontaneous curvatures. This change in membrane tension can have a functional impact in many biological phenomena where proteins interact with membranes.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure

The Limiting Speed of the Bacterial Flagellar Motor

Recent experiments on the bacterial flagellar motor have shown that the structure of this nanomachine, which drives locomotion in a wide range of bacterial species, is more dynamic than previously believed. Specifically, the number of active torque-generating units (stators) was shown to vary across applied loads. This finding invalidates the experimental evidence reporting that limiting (zero-torque) speed is independent of the number of active stators. Here, we propose that, contrary to previous assumptions, the maximum speed of the motor is not universal, but rather increases as additional torque-generators are recruited. This result arises from our assumption that stators disengage from the motor for a significant portion of their mechanochemical cycles at low loads. We show that this assumption is consistent with current experimental evidence and consolidate our predictions with arguments that a processive motor must have a high duty ratio at high loads.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures (main text); 7 pages, 3 figures (supplementary

Paradoxical signaling regulates structural plasticity in dendritic spines

Transient spine enlargement (3-5 min timescale) is an important event associated with the structural plasticity of dendritic spines. Many of the molecular mechanisms associated with transient spine enlargement have been identified experimentally. Here, we use a systems biology approach to construct a mathematical model of biochemical signaling and actin-mediated transient spine expansion in response to calcium-influx due to NMDA receptor activation. We have identified that a key feature of this signaling network is the paradoxical signaling loop. Paradoxical components act bifunctionally in signaling networks and their role is to control both the activation and inhibition of a desired response function (protein activity or spine volume). Using ordinary differential equation (ODE)-based modeling, we show that the dynamics of different regulators of transient spine expansion including CaMKII, RhoA, and Cdc42 and the spine volume can be described using paradoxical signaling loops. Our model is able to capture the experimentally observed dynamics of transient spine volume. Furthermore, we show that actin remodeling events provide a robustness to spine volume dynamics. We also generate experimentally testable predictions about the role of different components and parameters of the network on spine dynamics

A study to determine the effectiveness of the Sixty Club of Union Settlement of Hartford

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston UniversityA shifting of age patterns towards a larger number of older people in the population is creating a new frontier for social work in our American Society. Increasingly, group work agencies are being challenged to meet the needs of our senior citizens through day center and club programs. For most group work agencies programming for the older person is a relatively new development and one requiring constant experimentation and evaluation . While aged persons have much in common , just as other age groups do, there still remains a uniqueness of different individuals and groups. Therefore, in evaluating the effectiveness of a group work program for the aged, each group must be studied in light of the needs and characteristics of this particular group .The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the program of the Sixty Club of Union Settlement of Hartford in light of the following criteria. Does the program grow out of the needs and interests of the individuals who compose the group? Does the program take into account such factors as age of group members and economic and cultura l backgrounds? Is the program diversified enough to satisfy a variety of needs and interests

Mechanics of torque generation in the bacterial flagellar motor

The bacterial flagellar motor (BFM) is responsible for driving bacterial locomotion and chemotaxis, fundamental processes in pathogenesis and biofilm formation. In the BFM, torque is generated at the interface between transmembrane proteins (stators) and a rotor. It is well-established that the passage of ions down a transmembrane gradient through the stator complex provides the energy needed for torque generation. However, the physics involved in this energy conversion remain poorly understood. Here we propose a mechanically specific model for torque generation in the BFM. In particular, we identify two fundamental forces involved in torque generation: electrostatic and steric. We propose that electrostatic forces serve to position the stator, while steric forces comprise the actual 'power stroke'. Specifically, we predict that ion-induced conformational changes about a proline 'hinge' residue in an $\alpha$-helix of the stator are directly responsible for generating the power stroke. Our model predictions fit well with recent experiments on a single-stator motor. Furthermore, we propose several experiments to elucidate the torque-speed relationship in motors where the number of stators may not be constant. The proposed model provides a mechanical explanation for several fundamental features of the flagellar motor, including: torque-speed and speed-ion motive force relationships, backstepping, variation in step sizes, and the puzzle of swarming experiments

How Myxobacteria Glide

BackgroundMany microorganisms, including myxobacteria, cyanobacteria, and flexibacteria, move by gliding. Although gliding always describes a slow surface-associated translocation in the direction of the cell's long axis, it can result from two very different propulsion mechanisms: social (S) motility and adventurous (A) motility. The force for S motility is generated by retraction of type 4 pili. A motility may be associated with the extrusion of slime, but evidence has been lacking, and how force might be generated has remained an enigma. Recently, nozzle-like structures were discovered in cyanobacteria from which slime emanated at the same rate at which the bacteria moved. This strongly implicates slime extrusion as a propulsion mechanism for gliding.ResultsHere we show that similar but smaller nozzle-like structures are found in Myxococcus xanthus and that they are clustered at both cell poles, where one might expect propulsive organelles. Furthermore, light and electron microscopical observations show that slime is secreted in ribbons from the ends of cells. To test whether the slime propulsion hypothesis is physically reasonable, we construct a mathematical model of the slime nozzle to see if it can generate a force sufficient to propel M. xanthus at the observed velocities. The model assumes that the hydration of slime, a cationic polyelectrolyte, is the force-generating mechanism.ConclusionsThe discovery of nozzle-like organelles in various gliding bacteria suggests their role in prokaryotic gliding. Our calculations and our observations of slime trails demonstrate that slime extrusion from such nozzles can account for most of the observed properties of A motile gliding

Small scale membrane mechanics

Large scale changes to lipid bilayer shapes are well represented by the Helfrich model. However, there are membrane processes that take place at smaller length scales that this model cannot address. In this work, we present a one-dimensional continuum model that captures the mechanics of the lipid bilayer membrane at the length scale of the lipids themselves. The model is developed using the Cosserat theory of surfaces with lipid orientation, or ‘tilt’, as the fundamental degree of freedom. The Helfrich model can be recovered as a special case when the curvatures are small and the lipid tilt is everywhere zero. We use the tilt model to study local membrane deformations in response to a protein inclusion. Parameter estimates and boundary conditions are obtained from a coarse-grained molecular model using dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) to capture the same phenomenon. The continuum model is able to reproduce the membrane bending, stretch and lipid tilt as seen in the DPD model. The lipid tilt angle relaxes to the bulk tilt angle within 5–6 nm from the protein inclusion. Importantly, for large tilt gradients induced by the proteins, the tilt energy contribution is larger than the bending energy contribution. Thus, the continuum model of tilt accurately captures behaviors at length scales shorter than the membrane thickness

Stochastic models for cell motion and taxis

Certain biological experiments investigating cell motion result in time lapse video microscopy data which may be modeled using stochastic differential equations. These models suggest statistics for quantifying experimental results and testing relevant hypotheses, and carry implications for the qualitative behavior of cells and for underlying biophysical mechanisms. Directional cell motion in response to a stimulus, termed taxis, has previously been modeled at a phenomenological level using the Keller-Segel diffusion equation. The Keller-Segel model cannot distinguish certain modes of taxis, and this motivates the introduction of a richer class of models which is nevertheless still amenable to statistical analysis. A state space model formulation is used to link models proposed for cell velocity to observed data. Sequential Monte Carlo methods enable parameter estimation via maximum likelihood for a range of applicable models. One particular experimental situation, involving the effect of an electric field on cell behavior, is considered in detail. In this case, an Ornstein- Uhlenbeck model for cell velocity is found to compare favorably with a nonlinear diffusion model.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/46949/1/285_2003_Article_220.pd