PubMed · 12484858
Macroion-induced compositional instability of binary fluid membranes.
Abstract
Macroion adsorption on a mixed, fluid, lipid membrane containing oppositely charged lipids induces local changes in lipid composition at the interaction zones, and gradients at their boundaries. Including these effects in the free energy of the macroion-dressed membrane we derive its spinodal equation, and show that nonideal lipid mixing can lead to (lipid-mediated) attraction between macroions and lateral phase separation in the composite membrane. The critical nonideality for this transition is substantially smaller than that of the bare lipid membrane, decreasing with macroion size and charge. That is, the lipid membrane is destabilized by macroion adsorption.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Explore connections, maps & timelines
Sylvio May, Daniel Harries, Avinoam Ben-Shaul. 2002-12-09. Macroion-induced compositional instability of binary fluid membranes.. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.89.268102
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.