Long-range protein coupling mediated by critical low-energy modes of tubular lipid membranes

Phys Rev Lett. 2010 Jul 9;105(2):028102. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.028102. Epub 2010 Jul 8.

Abstract

We develop a theory of a resonant effect in protein-membrane coupling taking place in the vicinity of instabilities in tubular lipid membranes (TLMs) under longitudinal force and pressure difference constraints. Two critical low-energy modes defining the stability domain boundaries are found. We show that these modes mediate long-range TLM-protein coupling and interactions between absorbed proteins. Besides, TLM mechanical instabilities strongly influence protein desorption and protein cluster nucleation on TLMs. Model predictions can be tested over a large spectrum of mechanochemical conditions.

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • Elastic Modulus
  • Membrane Lipids / chemistry*
  • Membrane Lipids / metabolism
  • Organelles / chemistry
  • Organelles / metabolism
  • Proteins / chemistry*
  • Proteins / metabolism
  • Stress, Mechanical
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Membrane Lipids
  • Proteins