Shear-driven instabilities of membrane tubes and dynamin-induced scission

TL;DR

This paper investigates a novel shear-driven helical instability in membrane tubes, which may be relevant for understanding dynamin-induced membrane fission in biological systems.

Contribution

It introduces a new instability mechanism driven by shear flow in membrane tubes, relevant for dynamin-mediated membrane scission.

Findings

Identifies a shear-driven helical instability in membrane tubes.

Shows the instability can occur at physiologically relevant shear rates.

Suggests the instability's role in dynamin-mediated membrane fission.

Abstract

Motivated by the mechanics of dynamin-mediated membrane tube fission we analyse the stability of fluid membrane tubes subjected to shear flow in azimuthal direction. We find a novel helical instability driven by the membrane shear flow which results in a non-equilibrium steady state for the tube fluctuations. This instability has its onset at shear rates that may be physiologically accessible under the action of dynamin and could also be probed using in-vitro experiments on membrane nanotubes, e.g. using magnetic tweezers. We discuss how such an instability may play a role in the mechanism for dynamin-mediated membrane tube fission.