2003/03/31 by Markus Deserno · 2 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Medicine · Physics and Astronomy · #Erythrocyte Function and Pathophysiology #Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior #Protein Structure and Dynamics #cond-mat.soft
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreve.69.031903
14 pages, 9 figures, REVTeX style, follow-up on cond-mat/0212421
arxiv created 2003/03/31 · openalex publication_date 2004/03/12 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
When a colloidal particle adheres to a fluid membrane, it induces elastic deformations in the membrane which oppose its own binding. The structural and energetic aspects of this balance are investigated within the framework of a Helfrich Hamiltonian. Based on the full nonlinear shape equations for the membrane profile, a line of continuous binding transitions and a second line of discontinuous envelopment transitions are found, which meet at an unusual triple point. The regime of low tension is studied analytically using a small gradient expansion, while in the limit of large tension scaling arguments are derived which quantify the asymptotic behavior of phase boundary, degree of wrapping, and energy barrier. The maturation of animal viruses by budding is discussed as a biological example of such colloid-membrane interaction events.