Issue 22, 2013

Wrapping of ellipsoidal nano-particles by fluid membranes

Abstract

Membrane budding and wrapping of particles, such as viruses and nano-particles, play a key role in intracellular transport and have been studied for a variety of biological and soft matter systems. We study nano-particle wrapping by numerical minimization of bending, surface tension, and adhesion energies. We calculate deformation and adhesion energies as a function of membrane elastic parameters and adhesion strength to obtain wrapping diagrams. We predict unwrapped, partially wrapped, and completely wrapped states for prolate and oblate ellipsoids with various aspect ratios and particle sizes. In contrast to spherical particles, where partially wrapped states exist only for finite surface tensions, partially wrapped states for ellipsoids occur already for tensionless membranes. In addition, the partially wrapped states are long-lived, because of an increased energy cost for wrapping of the highly curved tips. Our results suggest a lower uptake rate of ellipsoidal particles by cells and thereby a higher virulence of tubular viruses compared with icosahedral viruses, as well as co-operative budding of ellipsoidal particles on membranes.

Graphical abstract: Wrapping of ellipsoidal nano-particles by fluid membranes

Associated articles

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Feb 2013
Accepted
02 Apr 2013
First published
01 May 2013

Soft Matter, 2013,9, 5473-5482

Wrapping of ellipsoidal nano-particles by fluid membranes

S. Dasgupta, T. Auth and G. Gompper, Soft Matter, 2013, 9, 5473 DOI: 10.1039/C3SM50351H

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