title: Mechanical stability of membrane nanotubular protrusions influenced by attachment of flexible rod-like proteins.
abstract: It is indicated that nonhomogeneous lateral distribution of membrane attached and flexible rod-like proteins (MRPs) may stabilize nanotubular membrane protrusions. We have shown that curvature induced accumulation of MRPs in the nanotubular membrane protrusion and the corresponding reduction of the membrane free energy are possible if the decrease of the deviatoric free energy of MRPs in the nanotubular protrusions is large enough to overcome the increase of the free energy due to decrease of configurational entropy in the process of lateral sorting of MRPs. The decrease of isotropic curvature energy of MRPs in the region of membrane protrusion is usually not sufficient for substantial MRPs sorting and consequent stabilization of the nanotubular membrane protrusions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biophysics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Sárka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perutková
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kralj-Iglic
authors.forename: Mojca
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Ales
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iglic
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008560:Membrane Fluidity; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008565:Membrane Proteins