Modeling ion channel clustering using critical phenomena

Abstract

Recent superresolution microscopy experiments have shown that, even in unmyelinated axons, voltage gated channels are clustered together in a fashion that resembles the organization at the nodes of Ranvier. While it is known that localization of channels can be beneficial for increasing propagation speed and efficiency of action potentials, the mechanism underlying this clustering phenomenon is currently unclear. Here we investigate the role of lipid membrane phase separation and critical Casimir forces as microscopic determinants of pattern formation in cell membranes.