Inter-tube adhesion mediates a new pearling mechanism

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Cell Biology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Controlled shape transformation, or pearling, of membrane tubes is crucial for intracellular transport.
• Understanding multi-tube pearling mechanisms is essential for elucidating biological functions and advancing biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the mechanism and pathway of pearling in multiple membrane tubes.
• To explore the role of inter-tube adhesion in mediating tube pearling.

Main Methods:

• Utilized computer simulations to model membrane tube pearling.
• Analyzed the influence of inter-tube adhesion strength, tube diameter, inter-tube orientation, and tube length on pearling dynamics.

Main Results:

• Inter-tube adhesion was identified as a key mediator of tube pearling, inducing a discontinuous transition from no pearling to thorough pearling with increasing adhesion strength.
• Pearling instability is affected by tube diameter and orientation; thinner tubes exhibit lipid diffusion, hindering pearling, while perpendicular tubes show more efficient pearling.
• Finite size effects were evaluated by simulating tubes of varying lengths.

Conclusions:

• Inter-tube adhesion plays a critical role in regulating membrane tube pearling, offering new insights into intracellular transport mechanisms.
• Findings provide a foundation for potential applications in biomaterials science and nanomedicine, particularly in controlling membrane tube morphology.