Lipid tubule growth by osmotic pressure

Abstract

We present here a procedure for growing lipid tubules in vitro. This method allows us to grow tubules of consistent shape and structure, and thus can be a useful tool for nano-engineering applications. There are three stages during the tubule growth process: initiation, elongation and termination. Balancing the forces that act on the tubule head shows that the growth of tubules during the elongation phase depends on the balance between osmotic pressure and the viscous drag exerted on the membrane from the substrate and the external fluid. Using a combination of mathematical modelling and experiment, we identify the key forces that control tubule growth during the elongation phase.

Imaging non-classical mechanical responses of lipid membranes using molecular rotors

“…Instead, the resulting excess lipid might create highly curved membrane protrusions. 71,72 The likelihood of membrane buckling is discussed further in the ESI. †…”

Fabrication of Lipid Nanotubules by Ultrasonic Drag Force

“…The lipid tubule, formed by lipid molecules, is the organic hollow cylindrical lipid bilayer membrane microstructure. When its diameter reaches the nanoscale, it can be called lipid nanotubules .…”

“…Hence, it is being one fundamental base for biological processes such as endocytosis and shrinking cells . In applications, the lipid nanotubule is already commonly used in cell mimicking ,,− and controller-released systems. ,,− Moreover, owing to its structure characterization in the form of the nanoscale hollow feature, the lipid nanotubule can be used as a soft template of nanomaterials and chemical microreactors. ,− Thus, it has broad application prospects in the fields of material construction, device technology, nanofabrication, bioengineering, and so on. − ,− ,− ,− …”

“…Obviously, the self-assembly ,,, needs particular lipids and specific reaction conditions, which limits its further application. The methods of stretching lipid aggregates use external forces that include optical tweezers, , osmotic stress, , fluid shear flow, ,,,,, and electric fields. ,,,,, Compared with self-assembly of lipid molecules, these methods do not have high requirement for lipids. However, the optical tweezers, osmotic stress, and fluid shear flow are inefficient and required complex manipulation.…”

Physical mechanisms of platelet formation

“…Despite these challenging physics, the field of membrane biomechanics has progressed tremendously over the last decade, and recent modeling efforts have significantly enhanced our understanding of various complex cellular processes. Examples include the mechanics of cytokinesis (21), endocytosis (22), and membrane tubule growth (23), among many others. The study of platelet biogenesis by Bächer et al 3is a valuable addition and makes a strong case for continued efforts in the areas of physicsbased modeling and high-fidelity simulation of a wide-range of small-scale biological phenomena.…”