Shape Deformation Of Vesicle Research Articles

Microdomain evolution on giant unilamellar vesicles

A chemo-mechanical model is used to capture the formation and evolution of microdomains on the deforming surface of giant unilamellar vesicles. The model is intended for the regime of vesicle dynamics characterized by a distinct difference in time scales between shape change and species transport. This is achieved by ensuring that shape equilibrium holds away from chemical equilibrium. Conventional descriptions are used to define the curvature and chemical contributions to the vesicle energetics. Both contributions are consistently non-dimensionalized. The phase-field framework is used to cast the coupled model in a diffuse-interface form. The resulting fourth-order nonlinear system of equations is discretized using the finite- element method with a uniform cubic spline basis, which satisfies global higher-order continuity. Two-dimensional and axisymmetric numerical examples of domain evolution coupled to vesicle shape deformation are presented. Curvature-dependent domain sorting and shape deformation dominated by line tension are also considered.

A Discrete, Space Variation Model for Studying the Kinetics of Shape Deformation of Vesicles Coupled with Phase Separation

AbstractSummary: The evolution dynamics of phase separation, coupled with shape deformation of vesicles is described by using dissipative dynamic equations, specifically the time‐dependent Ginzburg‐Landau (TDGL) equations. In order to improve the numerical stability and thus to efficiently deal with a large deformation of vesicles, a new algorithm, namely the discrete space variation model (DSVM) has been developed for the first time. The algorithm is based on the variation of the discretized free‐energy functional, which is constructed in discrete membrane space, in contrast to the commonly used continuous free‐energy functional. For the sake of numerical tractability, only the cylindrical vesicles (2D), with two components, are taken into consideration to illustrate the efficiency and validity of new algorithm. The simulation results, based on the DSVM algorithm have been compared with those from both linear analysis and strong segregation theory using the continuous space free‐energy functional. It is found that the DSVM algorithm can correctly describe the coupling between the lateral phase‐separation on the vesicle membrane and the vesicle shape deformation, both for early and late stages.A flower‐like vesicle obtained by DSVM simulation.magnified imageA flower‐like vesicle obtained by DSVM simulation.

Electroporation of curved lipid membranes in ionic strength gradients

A thermodynamic theory for the membrane electroporation of curved membranes such as those of lipid vesicles and cylindrical membrane tubes has been developed. The theory covers in particular the observation that electric pore formation and shape deformation of vesicles and cells are dependent on the salt concentration of the suspending solvent. It is shown that transmembrane salt gradients can appreciably modify the electrostatic part of Helfrich's spontaneous curvature, elastic bending rigidity and Gaussian curvature modulus of charged membranes. The Gibbs reaction energy of membrane electroporation can be explicitely expressed in terms of salt gradient-dependent contributions of bending, the ionic double layers and electric surface potentials and dielectric polarisation of aqueous pores. In order to cover the various physical contribution to the chemical process of electroporation-resealing, we have introduced a generalised chemophysical potential covering all generalised forces and generalised displacements in terms of a transformed Gibbs energy formalism. Comparison with, and analysis of, the data of electrooptical relaxation kinetic studies show that the Gibbs reaction energy terms can be directly determined from turbidity dichroism (Planck's conservative dichroism). The approach also quantifies the electroporative cross-membrane material exchange such as electrolyte release, electrohaemolysis of red blood cells or uptake of drugs and dyes and finally gene DNA by membrane electroporation.

Electroporative deformation of salt filled lipid vesicles

Membrane electroporation, vesicle shape deformation and aggregation of small, NaCl-filled lipid vesicles (of radius a = 50 nm) in DC electric fields was characterized using conductometric and turbidimetrical data. At pulse durations tE≤ 55 ± 5 ms the increase in the conductivity of the vesicle suspension is due to the field-induced efflux of electrolyte through membrane electropores. Membrane electroporation and Maxwell stress on the vesicle membrane lead to vesicle elongation concomitant with small volume reduction (up to 0.6% in an electric field of E = 1 MV m–1). At tE > 55 ± 5 ms, further increases in the conductivity and the optical density suggest electroaggregation and electrofusion of vesicles. The conductivity changes after the electric pulse termination reflect salt ion efflux through slowly resealing electropores. The analysis of the volume reduction kinetics yields the bending rigidity κ = (4.1 ± 0.3) ⋅ 10–20 J of the vesicle membrane. If the flow of Na+ and Cl– ions from the vesicle interior is treated in terms of Hagen-Poiseuille's equation, the number of permeable electropores is N = 39 per vesicle with mean pore radius rp = 0.85 ± 0.05 nm at E = 1 MVm–1 and tE≤ 55 ± 5 ms. The turbidimetric and conductometric data suggest that small lipid vesicles (a ≤ 50 nm) are not associated with extensive membrane thermal undulations or superstructures. In particular with respect to membrane curvature, the vesicle results are suggestive for the design and optimization of electroporative delivery of drugs and genes to cell tissue at small field strengths (≤1 MVm–1) and large pulse durations (≤100 ms).

Electrooptics of membrane electroporation and vesicle shape deformation

Electrooptical and conductometric methods continue to reveal new and more detailed information on the dynamic properties of membranes in electric fields. In particular, the electric pore formation in lipid vesicles, doped with optical probes, has been successfully investigated with electrooptical techniques thus providing new insight into the lipid rearrangements underlying membrane electroporation (ME) and vesicle deformation. Progress in understanding the molecular mechanism of ME and related phenomena, such as electrofusion of cells or electroinsertion of foreign proteins into membranes, is crucially important for the numerous applications of ME, for example, direct electroporative gene transfer and drug delivery in the new medical discipline of electroporative chemotherapy.