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Role of curvature and phase transition in lipid sorting and fission of membrane tubules
Author(s) -
Roux Aurélien,
Cuvelier Damien,
Nassoy Pierre,
Prost Jacques,
Bassereau Patricia,
Goud Bruno
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1038/sj.emboj.7600631
Subject(s) - membrane , biology , vesicle , membrane curvature , biophysics , sphingomyelin , lipid bilayer phase behavior , phosphatidylcholine , phase (matter) , liposome , lipid bilayer , phospholipid , biochemistry , chemistry , organic chemistry
We have recently developed a minimal system for generating long tubular nanostructures that resemble tubes observed in vivo with biological membranes. Here, we studied membrane tube pulling in ternary mixtures of sphingomyelin, phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol. Two salient results emerged: the lipid composition is significantly different in the tubes and in the vesicles; tube fission is observed when phase separation is generated in the tubes. This shows that lipid sorting may depend critically on both membrane curvature and phase separation. Phase separation also appears to be important for membrane fission in tubes pulled out of giant liposomes or purified Golgi membranes.