Pattern formation of lipid domains in bilayer membranes

Abstract

, DPPC) are introduced to the outer leaflet. The additional lipid partitions preferentially to domains where it is enriched, creating a preferred curvature that depends on local composition. We use an amplitude expansion to determine the domain size and morphology of patterns that minimize the total free energy, which is validated by numerical simulations and compared against experiments in synthetic model membranes and cell-derived membranes. The morphology of patterns varies with membrane lipid composition following a complex morphological diagram, which is in good agreement with experiments. The domain size decreases monotonically with a membrane bending modulus but can be non-monotonic with surface tension. Our results offer testable predictions, such as pattern hysteresis upon cycling external stimuli, diverse pattern morphology near critical points, and non-monotonic dependence of the domain size on osmotic pressure, which motivate future experiments. The presented theoretical framework is generally applicable to pattern formation on deformable surfaces.

Topics & Concepts