Fig. 4. Curvature-dependent cholesterol dynamics and distribution.

The sketch depicts the lateral positions of cholesterol molecules within the upper and lower leaflets (upper and lower panels, respectively) of a DOPC bicelle at atomistic resolution. Snapshots at distinct times, denoted as positive curvature (a, at time t₁) and negative curvature (b, at time t₂ > t₁), showcase the dynamic redistribution of cholesterol. The central domain, highlighted in green with a radius of 7 nm, serves as a reference. Cholesterol molecules departing from the central domain of the respective leaflet between these two snapshots are depicted in red, while molecules moving into the central domain of the upper/lower leaflet are represented in orange. The inset figures were created with BioRender.com.