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Updated: Jul 2, 2026
12:18
Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions
Published on: August 3, 2021
Vesicle size and membrane composition control monomer transfer pathways in multicomponent lipid vesicles
Patrick Grosfils1, Patricia Losada-Pérez2
1Center for Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems, Department of Physics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Boulevard du Triomphe CP231, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
The Journal of Chemical Physics
|July 1, 2026
Summary
Lipid exchange in protocells is complex. Vesicle size and lipid mix control transfer rates and composition, influencing protocell growth and stability.
Area of Science:
- Origins of life studies
- Biophysics
- Chemical biology
Background:
- Lipid exchange is crucial for protocell growth and equilibration.
- Existing models often simplify membranes to single components.
- The impact of vesicle size and lipid composition on lipid transfer is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a kinetic model for lipid exchange in multicomponent protocell populations.
- To investigate the influence of lipid composition and vesicle size on lipid transfer dynamics.
- To explore the effects of membrane packing on protocell evolution.
Main Methods:
- Developed a kinetic model for multicomponent protocell lipid exchange.
- Incorporated species-specific desorption rates and composition-dependent packing effects.
- Analyzed the impact of vesicle size asymmetry and membrane compression.
Main Results:
- Heterogeneous lipid compositions lead to multiple equilibration timescales and non-monotonic dynamics.
- Vesicle size asymmetry dictates the direction and rate of lipid transfer.
- Membrane compression affects lipid transfer kinetics and vesicle area evolution.
Conclusions:
- Vesicle size, lipid composition, and membrane packing collectively govern lipid transfer in protocell populations.
- The model provides insights into protocell growth and compositional equilibration.
- Findings are relevant for understanding early cellular evolution.
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