title: Thermodynamics and mechanics of membrane curvature generation and sensing by proteins and lipids.
abstract: Research investigating lipid membrane curvature generation and sensing is a rapidly developing frontier in membrane physical chemistry and biophysics. The fast recent progress is based on the discovery of a plethora of proteins involved in coupling membrane shape to cellular membrane function, the design of new quantitative experimental techniques to study aspects of membrane curvature, and the development of analytical theories and simulation techniques that allow a mechanistic interpretation of quantitative measurements. The present review first provides an overview of important classes of membrane proteins for which function is coupled to membrane curvature. We then survey several mechanisms that are assumed to underlie membrane curvature sensing and generation. Finally, we discuss relatively simple thermodynamic/mechanical models that allow quantitative interpretation of experimental observations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. baumgart@sas.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baumgart
authors.forename: Benjamin R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Capraro
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Sovan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Das
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D019563:Mechanics; D008560:Membrane Fluidity / Q000502:physiology; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008958:Models, Molecular; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D008563:Membrane Lipids; D008565:Membrane Proteins