Aqueous viscosity is the primary source of friction in lipidic pore dynamics.

ABSTRACT: A new theory, to our knowledge, is developed that describes the dynamics of a lipidic pore in a liposome. The equations of the theory capture the experimentally observed three-stage functional form of pore radius over time--stage 1, rapid pore enlargement; stage 2, slow pore shrinkage; and stage 3, rapid pore closure. They also show that lipid flow is kinetically limited by the values of both membrane and aqueous viscosity; therefore, pore evolution is affected by both viscosities. The theory predicts that for a giant liposome, tens of microns in radius, water viscosity dominates over the effects of membrane viscosity. The edge tension of a lipidic pore is calculated by using the theory to quantitatively account for pore kinetics in stage 3, rapid pore closing. This value of edge tension a

SUBMITTER: Ryham R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3244058 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature