title: Membrane Remodeling by Surface-Bound Protein Aggregates: Insights from Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics Simulation.
abstract: The mechanism of curvature generation in membranes has been studied for decades due to its important role in many cellular functions. However, it is not clear if, or how, aggregates of lipid-anchored proteins might affect the geometry and elastic property of membranes. As an initial step toward addressing this issue, we performed structural, geometrical, and stress field analyses of coarse-grained molecular dynamics trajectories of a domain-forming bilayer in which an aggregate of lipidated proteins was asymmetrically bound. The results suggest a general mechanism whereby asymmetric incorporation of lipid-modified protein aggregates curve multidomain membranes primarily by expanding the surface area of the monolayer in which the lipid anchor is inserted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston , Houston, Texas 77584, United States.
authors.forename: Hualin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston , Houston, Texas 77584, United States.
authors.forename: Alemayehu A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Gorfe