Pearling instabilities of membrane tubes with anchored polymers

We have studied the pearling instability induced on hollow tubular lipid vesicles by hydrophilic polymers with hydrophobic side groups along the backbone. The results show that the polymer concentration is coupled to local membrane curvature. The relaxation of a pearled tube is characterized by two different well-separated time scales, indicating two physical mechanisms. We present a model, which explains the observed phenomena and predicts polymer segregation according to local membrane curvature at late stages.     

Budding and tubulation in highly oblate vesicles by anchored amphiphilic molecules

We studied local budding and tubulation induced in highly oblate lipid vesicles by the anchoring of either polymers having a hydrophilic backbone and grafted hydrophobic anchor groups, or by oleoyl-coenzyme A, an amphiphilic molecule important in lipid metabolism. The dynamics of bud formation, shrinkage, and readsorption is consistent with an induced spontaneous curvature coupled with local amphiphile diffusion on the membrane. We report a novel metastable state prior to bud readsorption.