THERMAL GROUP MOTION CREATES STOCHASTIC PORES IN PLANE PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE BILAYERS

摘要

Within the present work we determined the conditions for transbilayer pore formation due to thermal group motion of phospholipid bilayer molecules. The radius of the area containing molecules that move almost simultaneously perpendicular to the bilayer surface is within the range [Rmin, Rmax]. Bilayer deformation is characterized by its wavelength, which is also confined to a limited and continuous range. The limits of both R and the wavelength depend on the thickness of the bilayer’s hydrophobic core, on temperature, polar group size, surface tension and on the hilayer’s elastic properties (elastic compression and splay). The conditions for transbilayer pore formation depend quantitatively on the radius of the perturbation area and on the bilayer deformation wavelength.