Wrapping of Microparticles by Floppy Lipid Vesicles

TL;DR

This study investigates how lipid vesicles wrap around micron-sized particles, providing experimental phase diagrams that align with theoretical models considering adhesion, membrane rigidity, and particle size.

Contribution

It offers the first experimental phase diagram of microparticle wrapping by lipid vesicles, validating theoretical models with tunable adhesive forces.

Findings

Wrapping depends on adhesion strength and membrane properties.

Experimental data agrees with theoretical predictions.

Identifies key parameters influencing membrane wrapping.

Abstract

Lipid membranes, the barrier defining living cells and many of their sub-compartments, bind to a wide variety of nano- and micro-meter sized objects. In the presence of strong adhesive forces, membranes can strongly deform and wrap the particles, an essential step in crossing the membrane for a variety of health and disease-related processes. A large body of theoretical and numerical work has focused on identifying the physical properties that underly wrapping. Using a model system of micron-sized colloidal particles and giant unilamellar lipid vesicles with tunable adhesive forces, we measure a wrapping phase diagram and make quantitative comparisons to theoretical models. Our data is consistent with a model of membrane-particle interactions accounting for the adhesive energy per unit area, membrane bending rigidity, particle size, and vesicle radius.