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  • Title: Toward a mathematical model of the assembly and disassembly of membrane microdomains: comparison with experimental models.
    Author: Richardson G, Cummings LJ, Harris HJ, O'Shea P.
    Journal: Biophys J; 2007 Jun 15; 92(12):4145-56. PubMed ID: 17384069.
    Abstract:
    We study a model system in which lipid bilayers are created using variable (precisely known) proportions of phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol. The model membranes exhibit cholesterol-enriched microdomains that are analogous to the so-called "lipid rafts" that form in living cells. After briefly presenting some experimental results, we formulate and solve a novel mathematical model based on the Smoluchowski equations for coagulation and fragmentation. We present a comparison between the distribution of lipid-raft areas observed in experimental lipid bilayers, and that distribution predicted by the theoretical model. Excellent agreement between the experiments and theory is obtained, with minimal parameter fitting.
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