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The stretching elasticity of biomembranes determines their line tension and bending rigidity

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Abstract

In this work, some implications of a recent model for the mechanical behavior of biological membranes (Deseri et al. in Continuum Mech Thermodyn 20(5):255–273, 2008) are exploited by means of a prototypical one-dimensional problem. We show that the knowledge of the membrane stretching elasticity permits to establish a precise connection among surface tension, bending rigidities and line tension during phase transition phenomena. For a specific choice of the stretching energy density, we evaluate these quantities in a membrane with coexistent fluid phases, showing a satisfactory comparison with the available experimental measurements. Finally, we determine the thickness profile inside the boundary layer where the order–disorder transition is observed.

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Acknowledgments

G. Zurlo gratefully acknowledges the European Project INdAM-COFUND. L. Deseri thanks the University of Trento for partial financial support, the Department of Mathematical Sciences and Center for Nonlinear Analysis through the NSF Grant No. DMS-0635983.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Nonlinear Analysis and Department of Mathematical Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213-3890, USA

    Luca Deseri

  2. Marie Curie Fellow of the Istituto Nazionale di Alta Matematica “Francesco Severi”, Laboratoire de Mécanique des Solides—École Polytechnique, 91128 , Palaiseau Cedex, France

    Giuseppe Zurlo

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  1. Luca Deseri
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  2. Giuseppe Zurlo
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Correspondence to Giuseppe Zurlo.

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Deseri, L., Zurlo, G. The stretching elasticity of biomembranes determines their line tension and bending rigidity. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 12, 1233–1242 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10237-013-0478-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10237-013-0478-z

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