Fission of a multiphase membrane tube

摘要: A common mechanism for intracellular transport is the use of controlled deformations membrane to create spherical or tubular buds. While basic physical properties homogeneous membranes are relatively well known, effects inhomogeneities within very much an active field study. Membrane domains enriched in certain lipids, particular, attracting attention, and this Letter we investigate effect such on shape fate tubes. Recent experiments have demonstrated that forced lipid phase separation can trigger tube fission, demonstrate how be understood purely from difference elastic constants between domains. Moreover, proposed model predicts time scales fission agree with experimental findings.