title: Measurements of the effect of membrane asymmetry on the mechanical properties of lipid bilayers.
abstract: We detail an approach for constructing asymmetric membranes and characterising their mechanical properties, leading to the first measurement of the effect of asymmetry on lipid bilayer mechanics. Our results demonstrate that asymmetry induces a significant increase in rigidity compared to symmetric membranes. Given that all biological membranes are asymmetric our findings have profound implications for the role of this phenomenon in biology.
authors: Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2AZ, UK. sp736@cam.ac.uk o.ces@imperial.ac.uk.
authors: Yuval
authors: Y
authors: Elani
authors: Sowmya
authors: S
authors: Purushothaman
authors: Paula J
authors: PJ
authors: Booth
authors: John M
authors: JM
authors: Seddon
authors: Nicholas J
authors: NJ
authors: Brooks
authors: Robert V
authors: RV
authors: Law
authors: Oscar
authors: O
authors: Ces
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D057054:Molecular Imaging
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers