Physics – Condensed Matter – Soft Condensed Matter
Scientific paper
2011-12-19
Physics
Condensed Matter
Soft Condensed Matter
11 pages, 9 figures
Scientific paper
How long a fluid membrane vesicle stressed with a steady ramp of micropipette last before rupture? Or conversely, how high the surface tension should be to rupture a membrane? To answer these challenging questions we have developed a theoretical framework that allows description and reproduction of Dynamic Tension Spectroscopy (DTS) observations. The kinetics of the membrane rupture under ramps of surface tension is described as a combination of initial pore formation followed by Brownian process of the pore radius crossing the time-dependent energy barrier. We present the formalism and derive (formal) analytical expression of the survival probability describing the fate of the membrane under DTS conditions. Using numerical simulations for the membrane prepared in an initial state with a given distribution of times for pore nucleation, we have studied the membrane lifetime (or inverse of rupture rate) and distribution of membrane surface tension at rupture as a function of membrane characteristics like pore nucleation rate, the energy barrier to failure and tension loading rate. It is found that simulations reproduce main features of the experimental data, particularly, the pore nucleation and pore size diffusion controlled limits of membrane rupture dynamics. This approach can also be applied to processes of permeation and pore opening in membranes (electroporation, membrane disruption by antimicrobial peptides, vesicle fusion).
Bicout Dominique J.
Kats E. I.
No associations
LandOfFree
Rupture of a Biomembrane under Dynamic Surface Tension does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Rupture of a Biomembrane under Dynamic Surface Tension, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Rupture of a Biomembrane under Dynamic Surface Tension will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-210661