Curvature-Dependent Elastic Properties of Liquid-Ordered Domains Result in Inverted Domain Sorting on Uniaxially Compressed Vesicles

Citation (APA 7)

Risselada, H. J., Marrink, S. J., & Müller, M. (2011). Curvature-dependent elastic properties of liquid-ordered domains result in inverted domain sorting on uniaxially compressed vesicles. Physical review letters, 106(14), 148102.

Abstract

Using a coarse-grained molecular model we study the spatial distribution of lipid domains on a 20-nm-sized vesicle. The lipid mixture laterally phase separates into a raftlike, liquid-ordered (𝑙𝑜) phase and a liquid-disordered phase. As we uniaxially compress the mixed vesicle keeping the enclosed volume constant, we impart tension onto the membrane. The vesicle adopts a barrel shape, which is composed of two flat contact zones and a curved edge. The 𝑙𝑜 domain, which exhibits a higher bending rigidity, segregates to the highly curved edge. This inverted domain sorting switches to normal domain sorting, where the 𝑙𝑜 domain prefers the flat contact zone, when we release the contents of the vesicle. We rationalize this domain sorting by a pronounced reduction of the bending rigidity and area compressibility of the 𝑙𝑜 phase upon bending.