Multiscale approaches to protein-mediated interactions between membranes-relating microscopic and macroscopic dynamics in radially growing adhesions

Bihr T, Seifert U, Smith AS (2015)

Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Journal article, Original article

Publication year: 2015

Journal

New Journal of Physics Institute of Physics: Open Access Journals / Institute of Physics (IoP) and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft

Publisher: IOP PUBLISHING LTD

Book Volume: 17

Article Number: 083016

URI: http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1367-2630/17/8/083016/meta;jsessionid=7B703DB1C697B834C4355CA25099543A.c2.iopscience.cld.iop.org

DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/17/8/083016

Open Access Link: http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1367-2630/17/8/083016/meta;jsessionid=7B703DB1C697B834C4355CA25099543A.c2.iopscience.cld.iop.org

Abstract

Macromolecular complexation leading to coupling of two or more cellular membranes is a crucial step in a number of biological functions of the cell. While other mechanisms may also play a role, adhesion always involves the fluctuations of deformable membranes, the diffusion of proteins and the molecular binding and unbinding. Because these stochastic processes couple over a multitude of time and length scales, theoretical modeling of membrane adhesion has been a major challenge. Here we present an effective Monte Carlo scheme within which the effects of the membrane are integrated into local rates for molecular recognition. The latter step in the Monte Carlo approach enables us to simulate the nucleation and growth of adhesion domains within a system of the size of a cell for tens of seconds without loss of accuracy, as shown by comparison to 10(6) times more expensive Langevin simulations. To perform this validation, the Langevin approach was augmented to simulate diffusion of proteins explicitly, together with reaction kinetics and membrane dynamics. We use the Monte Carlo scheme to gain deeper insight to the experimentally observed radial growth of micron sized adhesion domains, and connect the effective rate with which the domain is growing to the underlying microscopic events. We thus demonstrate that our technique yields detailed information about protein transport and complexation in membranes, which is a fundamental step toward understanding even more complex membrane interactions in the cellular context.

Authors with CRIS profile

Timo Bihr Physics Underlying Life Science Ana-Suncana Smith Physics Underlying Life Science

Additional Organisation(s)

Exzellenz-Cluster Engineering of Advanced Materials

Related research project(s)

Biological Membranes in Action: A Unified Approach to Complexation, Scaffolding and Active Transport (MEMBRANESACT) Oct. 1, 2013 - Sept. 30, 2019 GRK 1962: Dynamische Wechselwirkungen an Biologischen Membranen – von Einzelmolekülen zum Gewebe April 1, 2014 - Sept. 30, 2018

Involved external institutions

Universität Stuttgart DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Bihr, T., Seifert, U., & Smith, A.-S. (2015). Multiscale approaches to protein-mediated interactions between membranes-relating microscopic and macroscopic dynamics in radially growing adhesions. New Journal of Physics, 17. https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/17/8/083016

MLA:

Bihr, Timo, Udo Seifert, and Ana-Suncana Smith. "Multiscale approaches to protein-mediated interactions between membranes-relating microscopic and macroscopic dynamics in radially growing adhesions." New Journal of Physics 17 (2015).

BibTeX: Download