Alternative mechanisms of structuring biomembranes: self-assembly versus self-organization.
We study two mechanisms for the formation of protein patterns near membranes of living cells by mathematical modelling. Self-assembly of protein domains by electrostatic lipid-protein interactions is contrasted with self-organization due to a nonequilibrium biochemical reaction cycle of proteins near the membrane. While both processes lead eventually to quite similar patterns, their evolution occurs on very different length and time scales. Self-assembly produces periodic protein patterns on a spatial scale below 0.1 microm in a few seconds followed by extremely slow coarsening, whereas self-organization results in a pattern wavelength comparable to the typical cell size of 100 microm within a few minutes suggesting different biological functions for the two processes.
John
Karin
K
Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, Nöthnitzer Strasse 38, D-01187 Dresden, Germany. john@mpipks-dresden.mpg.de
Bär
Markus
M
D000465:Algorithms; D002468:Cell Physiological Phenomena; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D008566:Membranes / Q000737:chemistry*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010316:Particle Size; D010766:Phosphorylation
D008565:Membrane Proteins