Simulation of shape changes and adhesion phenomena in an elastic model of erythrocytes.
We present simulations of a model of a closed membrane that shares important features with erythrocytes: resistance to bending and shear, membrane asymmetry, and an osmotic pressure difference between the interior and exterior. By varying a few parameters we obtain several realistic (e.g., biconcave and cup-like) shapes whose fluctuations, analogous to flickering of erythrocytes, and mutual transformations are studied in thermal equilibrium. Our simulations form a basis for quantitative analysis of recent experiments done on erythrocytes and artificial bilayer vesicles. They also predict effects that could be observed in experiments such as an "'unbinding" phenomenon, i.e., a separation of adhering cells induced by thermal fluctuations.
Leibler
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Service de Physique Théorique de Saclay, Laboratoire de l'Institut de Recherche Fondamentale du Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
Maggs
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D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D004548:Elasticity; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D008433:Mathematics; D008961:Models, Structural