title: Microrheology of biopolymer-membrane complexes.
abstract: We create tailored microstructures, consisting of complexes of lipid membranes with self-assembled biopolymer shells, to study the fundamental properties and interactions of these basic components of living cells. We measure the mechanical response of these artificial structures at the micrometer scale, using optical tweezers and single-particle tracking. These systems exhibit rich dynamics that illustrate the viscoelastic character of the quasi-two-dimensional biopolymer network. We present a theoretical model relating the rheological properties of these membranes to the observed dynamics.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Dynamique des Fluides Complexes, U.M.R. C.N.R.S. 7506, Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Helfer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harlepp
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bourdieu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: MacKintosh
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chatenay
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry*; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D004548:Elasticity; D007834:Lasers; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008956:Models, Chemical; D012212:Rheology
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D001704:Biopolymers; D008051:Lipid Bilayers