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Transbilayer Pores Induced by Thickness Fluctuations

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Abstract

Thermally-induced fluctuations of individual phospholipids in a bilayer lipid membrane (BLM) are converted into collective motions due to the intermolecular interactions. Here, we demonstrate that transbilayer stochastic pores can be generated via collective thermal movements (CTM). Using the elastic theory of continuous media applied to smectic-A liquid crystals, we estimate the pore radius and the energetic requirements for pore appearance. Three types of thermally-induced transbilayer pores could be formed through BLMs: open and stable, open and unstable, and closed. In most of the situations, two open and stable pores with different radii could be generated. Notably, the two pores have the same generation probability. Unstable pores are possible to appear across thin bilayers that contain phospholipids with a large polar headgroup. Closed pores are present throughout the cases that we have inspected. The effects of hydrophobic thickness, polar headgroup size of phospholipids, temperature, surface tension, and elastic compression on the pore formation and pore stability have been examined as well.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Syracuse University, 201 Physics Building, Syracuse, NY, 13244-1130, USA

    Liviu Movileanu

  2. Structural Biology, Biochemistry and Biophysics Program, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 13244-4100, USA

    Liviu Movileanu

  3. Faculty of Biology, Laboratory of Biophysics, University of Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 91–95, Bucharest, R–76201, Romania

    Dumitru Popescu

  4. Institute of Applied Mathematics, Calea 13 Septembrie 13, P.O. Box 1–24, Bucharest, Romania

    Dumitru Popescu & Stelian Ion

  5. Faculty of Physics, Department of Electricity and Biophysics, University of Bucharest, P.O. Box MG 11, Bucharest-Magurele, R–077125, Romania

    Aurel I. Popescu

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  1. Liviu Movileanu
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  2. Dumitru Popescu
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Correspondence to Liviu Movileanu.

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Movileanu, L., Popescu, D., Ion, S. et al. Transbilayer Pores Induced by Thickness Fluctuations. Bull. Math. Biol. 68, 1231–1255 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11538-006-9069-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11538-006-9069-9

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