TY - JOUR

T1 - Computer simulation of interfacial fluctuation phenomena

AU - Mouritsen, Ole G.

AU - Jørgensen, Kent

AU - Ipsen, John Hjort

AU - Jørgensen, Kent

AU - Zuckermann, Martin J.

AU - Cruzeiro-Hansson, Leonor

PY - 1990

Y1 - 1990

N2 - Monte Carlo computer-simulation techniques applied to a microscopic interaction model of the gel-to-fluid chain-melting phase transition in pseudo-two-dimensional lipid membranes (mono- and bilayers) have shown that the density fluctuations at the transition induce formation of pseudo-one-dimensional fluctuating interfaces between lipid clusters in the membrane plane leading to dynamically heterogeneous membrane states. The characteristics of the fluctuations and the scaling properties of the clusters show that the membrane exhibits pseudo-critical behavior. In thermodynamic equilibrium, the interfacial area has a dramatic temperature dependence with an anomaly at the transition temperature. This anomaly is related to similar anomalies in response functions and in the transmembrane permeability. The interfacial area may be modulated by appropriate "impurities", e.g., by interfacially active molecules such as cholesterol or interstitial small molecules such as general anaesthetics. The properties of the interfacial area provide a means for understanding aspects of the functioning of certain interfacially active membrane-bound enzymes, such as phospholipase A2.

AB - Monte Carlo computer-simulation techniques applied to a microscopic interaction model of the gel-to-fluid chain-melting phase transition in pseudo-two-dimensional lipid membranes (mono- and bilayers) have shown that the density fluctuations at the transition induce formation of pseudo-one-dimensional fluctuating interfaces between lipid clusters in the membrane plane leading to dynamically heterogeneous membrane states. The characteristics of the fluctuations and the scaling properties of the clusters show that the membrane exhibits pseudo-critical behavior. In thermodynamic equilibrium, the interfacial area has a dramatic temperature dependence with an anomaly at the transition temperature. This anomaly is related to similar anomalies in response functions and in the transmembrane permeability. The interfacial area may be modulated by appropriate "impurities", e.g., by interfacially active molecules such as cholesterol or interstitial small molecules such as general anaesthetics. The properties of the interfacial area provide a means for understanding aspects of the functioning of certain interfacially active membrane-bound enzymes, such as phospholipase A2.

U2 - 10.1088/0031-8949/1990/T33/007

DO - 10.1088/0031-8949/1990/T33/007

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:0002649340

VL - T33

SP - 42

EP - 51

JO - Physica Scripta

JF - Physica Scripta

SN - 0031-8949

ER -