Berlin 2024 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 8: Poster Session Ia
BP 8.17: Poster
Monday, March 18, 2024, 18:00–20:30, Poster C
The Mechanics of Pancake-like Adhered Vesicles — •Gianna C. Wolfisberg1, Hendrik T. Spanke1, Jaime Agudo-Canalejo2, Eric R. Dufresne1,3, Robert W. Style1, and Aleksander A. Rebane1,4 — 1Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, Switzerland — 2Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPIDS), Germany — 3Department of Physics, Cornell University, USA — 4Programs in Chemistry and in Physics, New York University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Eukaryotic cells contain various lipid membrane-bounded organelles that possess unique biochemical identities. However, it remains often unclear how the organelle shapes are generated and what role the shapes play in function. An important example is the Golgi Apparatus, which has a highly conserved architecture comprising a stack of pancake-like sub-compartments (cisternae) that are adhered to each other and whose function is to process, sort, and transport freshly synthesized proteins via mechanisms that remain mysterious. Here, we develop an in vitro approach to study the mechanics of cisternae by creating flattened vesicle shapes of high surface-to-volume ratio achieved through adhesion and osmotic deflation. We compare our experimental shapes with the spontaneous curvature model. We find simple relations of aspect ratio and size that govern the mechanical properties of adhered pancake-like vesicles. We apply these simple relations to Golgi cisternae and find that the estimated adhesion strength between cisternae in cells is insufficient to create these flat shapes, suggesting that the shape is maintained by the cell using other mechanisms.
Keywords: Membrane Shape; Golgi Apparatus; Pancake-like; Osmotic Deflation; Adhesion