Statistical Mechanics of an Elastically Pinned Membrane: Static Profile and Correlations

Janeš, Josip Augustin; Stumpf, Henning; Schmidt, Daniel; Seifert, Udo; Smith, Ana Sunčana (2019) Statistical Mechanics of an Elastically Pinned Membrane: Static Profile and Correlations. Biophysical Journal, 116 (2). pp. 283-295. ISSN 0006-3495

| Request a personal copy from author

Abstract

The relation between thermal fluctuations and the mechanical response of a free membrane has been explored in great detail, both theoretically and experimentally. However, understanding this relationship for membranes locally pinned by proteins is significantly more challenging. Given that the coupling of the membrane to the cell cytoskeleton, to the extracellular matrix, and to other internal structures is crucial for the regulation of a number of cellular processes, understanding the role of the pinning is of great interest. In this manuscript, we consider a single protein (elastic spring of a finite rest length) pinning a membrane modeled in the Monge gauge. First, we determine the Green's function for the system and complement this approach by the calculation of the mode-coupling coefficients for the plane wave expansion and the orthonormal fluctuation modes, in turn building a set of tools for numerical and analytic studies of a pinned membrane. Furthermore, we explore static correlations of the free and the pinned membrane, as well as the membrane shape, showing that all three are mutually interdependent and have an identical long-range behavior characterized by the correlation length. Interestingly, the latter displays a nonmonotonic behavior as a function of membrane tension. Importantly, exploiting these relations allows for the experimental determination of the elastic parameters of the pinning. Last but not least, we calculate the interaction potential between two pinning sites and show that even in the absence of the membrane deformation, the pinnings will be subject to an attractive force because of changes in membrane fluctuations.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	A.-S.S., D.S., H.S., and J.A.J. were funded by European Research Council Starting Grant MembranesAct 337283. J.A.J. and A.-S.S. were in part supported by Croatian Science Foundation research project CompSoLs MolFlex 8238. D.S. was a member of the Research Training Group 1962 at the Friedrich Alexander Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	adhesion ; membranes ; cell adhesion
Subjects:	NATURAL SCIENCES > Physics
Divisions:	Division of Physical Chemistry
Projects:	Project title Project leader Project code Project type Računalna rješenja u bioznanostima: Značaj savitljivosti molekula-CompSoLS-MolFlex David Smith IP-2013-11-8238 HRZZ Biological Membranes in Action: A Unified Approachto Complexation, Scaffolding and Active Transport-MEMBRANESACT Ana Sunčana Smith 337283 EK
Depositing User:	Ana Sunčana Smith
Date Deposited:	24 Mar 2020 09:43
URI:	http://fulir.irb.hr/id/eprint/5375
DOI:	10.1016/j.bpj.2018.12.003

Actions (login required)

View Item