Stomatocyte-discocyte-echinocyte sequence of the human red blood cell: evidence for the bilayer- couple hypothesis from membrane mechanics.
Red-cell shape is encoded in the mechanical properties of the membrane. The plasma membrane contributes bending rigidity; the protein-based membrane skeleton contributes stretch and shear elasticity. When both effects are included, membrane mechanics can reproduce in detail the full stomatocyte-discocyte-echinocyte sequence by variation of a single parameter related to the bilayer couple originally introduced by Sheetz and Singer [Sheetz, M. P. & Singer, S. J. (1974) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 71, 4457-4461].
Lim H  W
Gerald
G
Department of Physics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6.
Wortis
Michael
M
Mukhopadhyay
Ranjan
R
D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*
D008051:Lipid Bilayers