Interpretation of fluctuation spectra in lipid bilayer simulations.

ABSTRACT: Atomic resolution and coarse-grained simulations of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine lipid bilayers were analyzed for fluctuations perpendicular to the bilayer using a completely Fourier-based method. We find that the fluctuation spectrum of motions perpendicular to the bilayer can be decomposed into just two parts: 1), a pure undulation spectrum proportional to q(-4) that dominates in the small-q regime; and 2), a molecular density structure factor contribution that dominates in the large-q regime. There is no need for a term proportional to q(-2) that has been postulated for protrusion fluctuations and that appeared to have been necessary to fit the spectrum for intermediate q. We suggest that earlier reports of such a term were due to the artifact of binning and smoothing in real space be

SUBMITTER: Brandt EG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3149257 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature