Pathway of membrane fusion with two tension-dependent energy barriers.
Fusion of bilayer membranes is studied via dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations. A new set of DPD parameters is introduced which leads to an energy barrier for flips of lipid molecules between adhering membranes. A large number of fusion events is monitored for a vesicle in contact with a planar membrane. Several time scales of the fusion process are found to depend exponentially on the membrane tension. This implies an energy barrier of about 10k(B)T for intermembrane flips and a second size-dependent barrier for the nucleation of a small hemifused membrane patch.
Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Science Park Golm, 14424 Potsdam, Germany.
Andrea
A
Grafmüller
Julian
J
Shillcock
Reinhard
R
Lipowsky
D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry; D008561:Membrane Fusion; D013816:Thermodynamics; D013997:Time Factors
D008081:Liposomes