Non-uniform distribution of myosin-mediated forces governs red blood cell membrane curvature through tension modulation.

ABSTRACT: The biconcave disk shape of the mammalian red blood cell (RBC) is unique to the RBC and is vital for its circulatory function. Due to the absence of a transcellular cytoskeleton, RBC shape is determined by the membrane skeleton, a network of actin filaments cross-linked by spectrin and attached to membrane proteins. While the physical properties of a uniformly distributed actin network interacting with the lipid bilayer membrane have been assumed to control RBC shape, recent experiments reveal that RBC biconcave shape also depends on the contractile activity of nonmuscle myosin IIA (NMIIA) motor proteins. Here, we use the classical Helfrich-Canham model for the RBC membrane to test the role of heterogeneous force distributions along the membrane and mimic the contractile activity of sparse

SUBMITTER: Alimohamadi H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7274484 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature