Domain-induced budding in buckling membranes.

Area of Science:

• Soft matter physics
• Membrane biophysics
• Computational materials science

Background:

• Phase separation and budding are crucial phenomena in soft membranes, impacting cellular processes.
• Understanding these dynamics requires models that account for membrane mechanics and constraints.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and utilize a phase field model for analyzing phase separation and budding in buckling membranes.
• To investigate the influence of surface area constraints and budding direction on domain formation and coalescence.

Main Methods:

• Numerical integration of dynamic equations within a phase field framework.
• Modeling buckling membranes with a focus on surface area constraints.

Main Results:

• The formation of cap-shaped domains is significantly influenced by excess area due to surface area constraints.
• Domain coalescence predominantly occurs between oppositely budding domains, not those with the same budding direction.
• Lower bending energy between oppositely budding domains drives this coalescence pattern.

Conclusions:

• The phase field model provides insights into the slow dynamics of phase separation on vesicles.
• Excess area and bending energy are key factors governing domain morphology and interactions in soft membranes.
• The model offers a novel perspective without explicitly including spontaneous curvature, aligning with Helfrich model observations.