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Interactions of rod-like particles on responsive elastic sheets
Surya K Ghosh1, Andrey G Cherstvy, Eugene P Petrov
1TIMC-IMAG Laboratory, Universite Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR, 5525 Grenoble, France.
Soft Matter
|August 6, 2016
Summary
Computer simulations reveal how rod-like particles on elastic sheets interact. Soft sheets favor tip-to-tip contacts, while stiffer sheets promote side-by-side arrangements, driving self-assembly of membrane-bound objects.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Soft Matter Physics
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Cell membranes host diverse particles like proteins and viruses.
- Understanding their interactions is crucial for cell function and dynamics.
- Physical laws governing these membrane-particle interactions are not fully elucidated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the physical laws governing mutual interactions of rod-like particles on elastic cell membrane models.
- To quantify membrane deformations induced by adsorbed filamentous particles.
- To understand how these interactions influence particle self-assembly.
Main Methods:
- Extensive computer simulations of rod-like particles on responsive elastic two-dimensional sheets.
- Quantification of sheet deformations in response to particle adhesion.
- Analysis of orientation-dependent, substrate-mediated interactions.
Main Results:
- Sheet softness dictates particle contact preference: tip-to-tip for soft, side-by-side for stiff sheets.
- Attractive, orientation-dependent interactions drive aggregation and self-assembly.
- Optimal particle orientation is determined by local elastic energy profiles.
Conclusions:
- Elastic properties of the membrane significantly influence the self-assembly of bound rod-like particles.
- The findings provide insights into the physical principles governing membrane-associated particle organization.
- Results are applicable to various biological systems with membrane-bound components.
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