title: Fluctuation mediated interactions due to rigidity mismatch and their effect on miscibility of lipid mixtures in multicomponent membranes.
abstract: We consider how membrane fluctuations can modify the miscibility of lipid mixtures, that is to say how the phase diagram of a boundary-constrained membrane is modified when the membrane is allowed to fluctuate freely in the case of zero surface tension. In order for fluctuations to have an effect, the different lipid types must have differing Gaussian rigidities. We show, somewhat paradoxically, that fluctuation-induced interactions can be treated approximately in a mean-field type theory. Our calculations predict that, depending on the difference in bending and Gaussian rigidity of the lipids, membrane fluctuations can either favor or disfavor mixing.
authors.affiliation: Université de Bordeaux and CNRS, Laboratoire Ondes et Matière d'Aquitaine (LOMA), UMR 5798, F-33400 Talence, France.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.forename: V Adrian
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Parsegian
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Podgornika
mesh_terms: D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008560:Membrane Fluidity; D008566:Membranes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D013500:Surface Tension
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers