Issue 17, 2009

Adhesion of membranesviareceptor–ligand complexes: Domain formation, binding cooperativity, and active processes

Abstract

Cell membranes interact via anchored receptor and ligand molecules. Central questions on cell adhesion concern the binding affinity of these membrane-anchored molecules, the mechanisms leading to the receptor–ligand domains observed during adhesion, and the role of cytoskeletal and other active processes. In this review, these questions are addressed from a theoretical perspective. We focus on models in which the membranes are described as elastic sheets, and the receptors and ligands as anchored molecules. In these models, the thermal membrane roughness on the nanometre scale leads to a cooperative binding of anchored receptor and ligand molecules, since the receptor–ligand binding smoothens out the membranes and facilitates the formation of additional bonds. Patterns of receptor domains observed in Monte Carlo simulations point towards a joint role of spontaneous and active processes in cell adhesion. The interactions mediated by the receptors and ligand molecules can be characterized by effective membrane adhesion potentials that depend on the concentrations and binding energies of the molecules.

Graphical abstract: Adhesion of membranesviareceptor–ligand complexes: Domain formation, binding cooperativity, and active processes

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
30 Jan 2009
Accepted
05 Jun 2009
First published
11 Jul 2009

Soft Matter, 2009,5, 3213-3224

Adhesion of membranesviareceptor–ligand complexes: Domain formation, binding cooperativity, and active processes

T. R. Weikl, M. Asfaw, H. Krobath, B. Różycki and R. Lipowsky, Soft Matter, 2009, 5, 3213 DOI: 10.1039/B902017A

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