Author/Editor     Svetina, Saša; Žekš, Boštjan
Title     Membrane active compounds that affect the shape of cells and cellular organelles
Type     članek
Source     Cell Mol Biol Lett
Vol. and No.     Letnik 6, št. 2A
Publication year     2001
Volume     str. 305-11
Language     eng
Abstract     Amphiphilic membrane active compounds are considered that affect the shapes of cells and cellular organelles by intercalation into the phospholipid part of their membranes. It is taken into consideration that amphiphile-membrane interaction modifies membrane mechanical properties. The relationship between membrane mechanical properties and vesicle shapes and the concept of the bilayer couple model are shortly reviewed. Then it is put forward that the strength of the amphiphile-membrane interaction may depend on the lateral packing of phospholipid molecules. It is shown that in such a case the amphiphile molecules bind to the membrane in a cooperative manner. Moreover, the amphiphile binding makes the ratio between the nonlocal and local membrane bending constants to be effectively larger and thus widens the range of possible stable vesicle and cellular shapes.
Descriptors     MEMBRANES, ARTIFICIAL
LIPID BILAYERS
PHOSPHOLIPIDS
CELL SIZE
ORGANELLES
ELASTICITY
MODELS, THEORETICAL