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Near-critical fluctuations and cytoskeleton-assisted phase separation lead to subdiffusion in cell membranes.

ABSTRACT: We address the relationship between membrane microheterogeneity and anomalous subdiffusion in cell membranes by carrying out Monte Carlo simulations of two-component lipid membranes. We find that near-critical fluctuations in the membrane lead to transient subdiffusion, while membrane-cytoskeleton interaction strongly affects phase separation, enhances subdiffusion, and eventually leads to hop diffusion of lipids. Thus, we present a minimum realistic model for membrane rafts showing the features of both microscopic phase separation and subdiffusion.

SUBMITTER: Ehrig J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3010007 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Near-critical fluctuations and cytoskeleton-assisted phase separation lead to subdiffusion in cell membranes.

Ehrig Jens J Petrov Eugene P EP Schwille Petra P

Biophysical journal 20110101 1

We address the relationship between membrane microheterogeneity and anomalous subdiffusion in cell membranes by carrying out Monte Carlo simulations of two-component lipid membranes. We find that near-critical fluctuations in the membrane lead to transient subdiffusion, while membrane-cytoskeleton interaction strongly affects phase separation, enhances subdiffusion, and eventually leads to hop diffusion of lipids. Thus, we present a minimum realistic model for membrane rafts showing the features ...[more]

PMID: 21190659

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