Magnetic phospholipid tubes connected to magnetoliposomes: Pearling
instability induced by a magnetic field
C. Menager,
M. Meyer, V. Cabuil, A. Cebers, J.-C. Bacri, and R. Perzynski
Abstract
We propose here a method to
modify the membrane tension of phospholipid tubes with an applied magnetic
field. The tubes are connected to giant liposomes capping the tubes at both
ends. Tubes and liposomes are all filled with a magnetic fluid. The tension of
the tube membrane is tuned by the deformation of the ending liposomes under the
applied field.We modelize the magnetoliposome deformation and we are then able
to describe the tube evolution. At low magnetic fields, the tube remains at
equilibrium with a cylindrical shape and a uniform radius. It responds to an
increase of membrane tension by a diameter reduction. Above a magnetic-field
threshold, the cylindrical shape becomes unstable with respect to a pearling
deformation. The tube shape then selected by the system is an unduloid, with a
constant mean curvature equal to C0, the spontaneous curvature of the membrane.