title: Flexible lipid bilayers in implicit solvent.
abstract: A minimalist simulation model for lipid bilayers is presented. Each lipid is represented by a flexible chain of beads in implicit solvent. The hydrophobic effect is mimicked through an intermolecular pair potential localized at the "water"/hydrocarbon tail interface. This potential guarantees realistic interfacial tensions for lipids in a bilayer geometry. Lipids self-assemble into bilayer structures that display fluidity and elastic properties consistent with experimental model membrane systems. Varying molecular flexibility allows for tuning of elastic moduli and area per molecule over a range of values seen in experimental systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Santa Barbara, 93106-9530, USA.
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brannigan
authors.forename: Peter F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Philips
authors.forename: Frank L H
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods*; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D012997:Solvents; D055672:Static Electricity; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008055:Lipids; D012997:Solvents