424 research outputs found
Indirect interactions of membrane-adsorbed cylinders
Biological and biomimetic membranes often contain aggregates of embedded or
adsorbed macromolecules. In this article, the indirect interactions of
cylindrical objects adhering to a planar membrane are considered theoretically.
The adhesion of the cylinders causes a local perturbation of the equilibrium
membrane shape, which leads to membrane-mediated interactions. For a planar
membrane under lateral tension, the interaction is repulsive for a pair of
cylinders adhering to the same side of the membrane, and attractive for
cylinders adhering at opposite membrane sides. For a membrane in an external
harmonic potential, the interaction of adsorbed cylinders is always attractive
and increases if forces perpendicular to the membrane act on the cylinders.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures; typos correcte
Impermeability effects in three-dimensional vesicles
We analyse the effects that the impermeability constraint induces on the
equilibrium shapes of a three-dimensional vesicle hosting a rigid inclusion. A
given alteration of the inclusion and/or vesicle parameters leads to shape
modifications of different orders of magnitude, when applied to permeable or
impermeable vesicles. Moreover, the enclosed-volume constraint wrecks the
uniqueness of stationary equilibrium shapes, and gives rise to pear-shaped or
stomatocyte-like vesicles.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure
- …