Abstract
The cell must create membrane curvature in vesicle formation processes like clathrin-mediated endocytosis and SNARE-mediated exocytosis. Two mechanisms of curvature induction have been studied: Scaffolding, in which a curved protein complex enforces its own shape on the membrane, and hydrophobic insertion, in which peptide material inserts directly into the bilayer and modifies the surface properties. This work studies the latter. A detailed molecular model (the CHARMM forcefield) of an amphipathic helix embedded at the surface of the lipid membrane is shown to create a substantial curvature preference. The model is directly contrasted with the prediction of weaker induction by a continuum elastic treatment. The discrepancy is analyzed in terms of how curvature is influenced by lipid/inclusion shape and specific chemical interactions.
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