Unbinding transitions of multicomponent membranes and strings

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework for understanding unbinding transitions in multicomponent membranes influenced by receptor/ligand interactions, supported by simulations and analytical scaling laws.

Contribution

It introduces a new theory linking membrane unbinding behavior to receptor/ligand binding energies and concentrations, with analytical scaling laws for strings and membrane estimates.

Findings

Unbinding behavior depends on receptor/ligand binding energies and concentrations.

Monte Carlo simulations confirm the theoretical predictions.

Analytical scaling laws for strings provide estimates near critical points.

Abstract

We present a theory of unbinding transitions for membranes that interact via short and long receptor/ligand bonds. The detail of unbinding behavior of the membranes is governed by the binding energies and concentrations of receptors and ligands. We investigate the unbinding behavior of these membranes with Monte Carlo simulations and via a comparison with strings. We derive the scaling laws for strings analytically. The exact analytic results provide scaling estimate for membranes in the vicinity of the critical point.