Alternative mechanisms of structuring biomembranes: self-assembly versus self-organization

We study two mechanisms for the formation of protein patterns near membranes of living cells by mathematical modelling. Self-assembly of protein domains by electrostatic lipid-protein interactions is contrasted with self-organization due to a nonequilibrium biochemical reaction cycle of proteins nea...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPhysical review letters Vol. 95; no. 19; p. 198101
Main Authors John, Karin, Bär, Markus
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 04.11.2005
Subjects
Algorithms
Cell Physiological Phenomena
Membrane Proteins - chemistry
Membranes - chemistry
Models, Statistical
Particle Size
Phosphorylation
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Summary:We study two mechanisms for the formation of protein patterns near membranes of living cells by mathematical modelling. Self-assembly of protein domains by electrostatic lipid-protein interactions is contrasted with self-organization due to a nonequilibrium biochemical reaction cycle of proteins near the membrane. While both processes lead eventually to quite similar patterns, their evolution occurs on very different length and time scales. Self-assembly produces periodic protein patterns on a spatial scale below 0.1 microm in a few seconds followed by extremely slow coarsening, whereas self-organization results in a pattern wavelength comparable to the typical cell size of 100 microm within a few minutes suggesting different biological functions for the two processes.
ISSN:0031-9007
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.95.198101