Stomatocyte-discocyte-echinocyte sequence of the human red blood cell: Evidence for the bilayer- couple hypothesis from membrane mechanics
Abstract
Red-cell shape is encoded in the mechanical properties of the membrane. The plasma membrane contributes bending rigidity; the protein-based membrane skeleton contributes stretch and shear elasticity. When both effects are included, membrane mechanics can reproduce in detail the full stomatocyte-discocyte-echinocyte sequence by variation of a single parameter related to the bilayer couple originally introduced by Sheetz and Singer [Sheetz, M. P. & Singer, S. J. (1974) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 71, 4457-4461].
- Publication:
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- December 2002
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.202617299
- Bibcode:
- 2002PNAS...9916766L
- Keywords:
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- Biophysics / Cell Biology