Exploring the ripple phase of biomembranes

Srilekha Banerjee

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2002, vol. 308, issue 1, 89-100

Abstract: Monte Carlo simulations are used to study the rippled Pβ′ phase in biomembranes conceived as a lamellar stack of lipid bilayers, each represented by a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice, in aqueous environment. The appearance of this intermediate phase between the ordered Lβ′ phase and the fluid Lα phase in the temperature driven gel–fluid transition is attributed to the coexistence of gel–fluid rich domains in the pre-transition phase. The interfacial energy, that plays a crucial role in domain formation, is governed by a delicate balance between the hydrophobic interaction within the hydrocarbon chains and the headgroup repulsion at the interface. The latter gets disturbed by the increase in the cross-sectional area per molecule at increased temperature and hydration. Periodic surface ripples appear to compensate the packing frustration between the headgroups and the hydrocarbon chains. The Cv plots, produced by the simulation work, confirm the presence of the pre-transition phase. A typical configuration of the Pβ′ phase also shows the corrugated surface profile. The essential presence of certain minimum hydration for the appearance of the Pβ′ phase has also been observed.

Keywords: Biomembrane; Ripple phase; Gel–fluid transition; Lamellar stack (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2002
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378437102005939
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only. Journal offers the option of making the article available online on Science direct for a fee of $3,000

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:308:y:2002:i:1:p:89-100

DOI: 10.1016/S0378-4371(02)00593-9

Access Statistics for this article

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications is currently edited by K. A. Dawson, J. O. Indekeu, H.E. Stanley and C. Tsallis

More articles in Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().