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. 1990 Aug;87(16):6433–6435. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.16.6433

Simulation of shape changes and adhesion phenomena in an elastic model of erythrocytes.

S Leibler 1, A C Maggs 1
PMCID: PMC54548  PMID: 2385601

Abstract

We present simulations of a model of a closed membrane that shares important features with erythrocytes: resistance to bending and shear, membrane asymmetry, and an osmotic pressure difference between the interior and exterior. By varying a few parameters we obtain several realistic (e.g., biconcave and cup-like) shapes whose fluctuations, analogous to flickering of erythrocytes, and mutual transformations are studied in thermal equilibrium. Our simulations form a basis for quantitative analysis of recent experiments done on erythrocytes and artificial bilayer vesicles. They also predict effects that could be observed in experiments such as an "'unbinding" phenomenon, i.e., a separation of adhering cells induced by thermal fluctuations.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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