Mechanosensitivity of cell membrane may govern creep-strain recovery, osmotic expansion and lysis.

Piotr H Pawłowski

doi:10.18388/abp.2009_2482

Mechanosensitivity of cell membrane may govern creep-strain recovery, osmotic expansion and lysis.

Piotr H Pawłowski Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, A. Pawińskiego 5a, Warsaw, Poland. piotrp@ibb.waw.pl;

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18388/abp.2009_2482

Abstract

A simple theoretical model considering cell membrane mechanosensitivity can accurately describe published experimental data on membrane area creeping and recovery, and on osmotic expansion and rupture. The model to data fit reveals real values of membrane tension and elasticity modulus, and the parameters describing membrane organization and kinetics of mechanosensitive membrane traffic, including small solute transport, water permeability, endocytosis, exocytosis, and caveolae formation. This estimation allows for separation and quantitative analysis of the participation of different processes constituting the response of plasmalemma to short time-scale membrane load. The predicted properties of the model were verified for membrane stretching at different osmotic pressures. Finally, a simple hypothesis concerning stressed cell membrane breakdown is postulated.

Published

2009-09-14

Issue

Vol. 56 No. 3 (2009)

Section

Articles

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