Equilibrium microphase separation in the two-leaflet model of lipid membranes

Abstract

A novel two-leaflet description of lipid membranes is proposed. Within its framework, phase separation phenomena in multicomponent biological membranes are analyzed. As we show, interactions between the leaflets tend to suppress macroscopic phase segregation (i.e., complete demixing of lipids) in such systems. Instead, microphase separation characterized by formation of equilibrium nanoscale domains can take place. The phase diagram is constructed and numerical simulations revealing nanostructures of different morphology are performed.

References in corpus (3)

• Monolayer curvature stabilizes nanoscale raft domains in mixed lipid bilayers
• Concentration fluctuations and phase transitions in coupled modulated bilayers
• Mixed lipid bilayers with locally varying spontaneous curvature and bending

Cited by in corpus (3)

• Physical mechanisms of micro- and nanodomain formation in multicomponent lipid membranes
• Hydrodynamic collective effects of active proteins in biological membranes
• Recycling controls membrane domains