Line Tension and Stability of Domains in Cell-Adhesion Zones Mediated by Long and Short Receptor-Ligand Complexes

Heinrich Krobath, Bartosz Różycki, Reinhard Lipowsky and Thomas R Weikl

PLOS ONE, 2011, vol. 6, issue 8, 1-8

Abstract: Submicron scale domains of membrane-anchored receptors play an important role in cell signaling. Central questions concern the stability of these microdomains, and the mechanisms leading to the domain formation. In immune-cell adhesion zones, microdomains of short receptor-ligand complexes form next to domains of significantly longer receptor-ligand complexes. The length mismatch between the receptor-ligand complexes leads to membrane deformations and has been suggested as a possible cause of the domain formation. The domain formation is a nucleation and growth process that depends on the line tension and free energy of the domains. Using a combination of analytical calculations and Monte Carlo simulations, we derive here general expressions for the line tension between domains of long and short receptor-ligand complexes and for the adhesion free energy of the domains. We argue that the length mismatch of receptor-ligand complexes alone is sufficient to drive the domain formation, and obtain submicron-scale minimum sizes for stable domains that are consistent with the domain sizes observed during immune-cell adhesion.

Date: 2011
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0023284

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023284

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