Open AccessTheory of periodic structures in lipid bilayer membranes
Author(s) -
Meira S. Falkovitz,
Michael Seul,
H. L. Frisch,
Harden M. McConnell
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.79.12.3918
Subject(s) - bilayer , lipid bilayer , membrane , curvature , lipid bilayer phase behavior , phase (matter) , phosphatidylcholine , lipid bilayer mechanics , membrane curvature , biological membrane , biophysics , chemical physics , chemistry , crystallography , phospholipid , biology , mathematics , biochemistry , geometry , organic chemistry
An approximate, new model for the structure of the periodic, undulatedP β′ , phase of phosphatidylcholine bilayers is proposed. The properties of this phase are deduced by minimizing a Landau-de Gennes expression for the bilayer free energy when this free energy contains a term favoring a spontaneous curvature of the membrane. The theoretical calculation leads to a model for theP β′ phase of phosphatidylcholine bilayers having a number of novel physical properties, including periodic variations in membrane “fluidity.”