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Thermodynamics and dynamics of the formation of spherical lipid vesicles

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Abstract

We propose a free energy expression accounting for the formation of spherical vesicles from planar lipid membranes and derive a Fokker–Planck equation for the probability distribution describing the dynamics of vesicle formation. We find that formation may occur as an activated process for small membranes and as a transport process for sufficiently large membranes. We give explicit expressions for the transition rates and the characteristic time of vesicle formation in terms of the relevant physical parameters.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge useful discussions with Dr. A. Maldonado and with G. Paredes and C. Luna. This work has been done under the framework of the Programa de Intercambio Académico UNAM-UNISON. We also acknowledge financial support by Grant No. DGAPA-IN102609.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Física, Matemáticas e Ingeniería, Universidad de Sonora, C.P. 83600, H. Caborca, Sonora, México

    Ernesto Hernández-Zapata

  2. Departamento de Investigación en Física, Universidad de Sonora, Apartado Postal 5-088, 83190, Hermosillo, Sonora, México

    Luciano Martínez-Balbuena

  3. Unidad Multidisciplinaria de Docencia e Investigación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de México, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, 76230, Querétaro, Querétaro, México

    Iván Santamaría-Holek

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  1. Ernesto Hernández-Zapata
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  2. Luciano Martínez-Balbuena
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  3. Iván Santamaría-Holek
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Correspondence to Ernesto Hernández-Zapata.

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Hernández-Zapata, E., Martínez-Balbuena, L. & Santamaría-Holek, I. Thermodynamics and dynamics of the formation of spherical lipid vesicles. J Biol Phys 35, 297–308 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10867-009-9169-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10867-009-9169-5

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