Berlin 2024 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 2: Membranes and Vesicles I

BP 2.10: Talk

Monday, March 18, 2024, 12:15–12:30, H 2032

Modeling the reshaping of membranes across the tree of life — •Felix Frey, Miguel Amaral, and Andela Saric — Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria

All biological cells are defined by flexible lipid membranes that are constantly reshaped as cells divide or relay materials across them. Interestingly, various membrane designs have evolved across the tree of life. In archaea, one of the two prokaryotic domains that often live at extreme conditions, membranes are typically organized into monolayers. Therefore, archaeal membranes are supposed to react differently when subjected to curvature compared to bilayer membranes in eukaryotes. However, the physical behavior of archaeal monolayer membranes during bending deformations has never been characterized. Here, we develop the first particle-based model for archaeal monolayer membranes. Our computer simulations reveal how archaeal membrane monolayers self-assemble, how they withstand high temperatures and how they deform when they adsorb small particles. In addition, we explore how imposing external membrane curvature dictates the organization of membrane lipids and creates membrane plasticity. Our findings demonstrate that archaeal monolayer membranes behave significantly different from bilayer membranes, potentially explaining why various membrane designs have evolved across the tree of life.

Keywords: Membrane biophysics; Archaeal monolayer membranes; Computer simulations; Coarse-grained molecular dynamics