Eur. Phys. J. E (2003) 12: 265-273
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2003-10058-x

Indirect interactions of membrane-adsorbed cylinders

Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung, 14424 , Potsdam, Germany

^* e-mail: thomas.weikl@mpikg-golm.mpg.de

Abstract

Biological and biomimetic membranes often contain aggregates of embedded or adsorbed macromolecules. In this paper, the indirect interactions of cylindrical objects adhering to a planar membrane are considered theoretically. The adhesion of the cylinders causes a local perturbation of the equilibrium membrane shape, which leads to membrane-mediated interactions. For a planar membrane under lateral tension, the interaction is repulsive for a pair of cylinders adhering to the same side of the membrane, and attractive for cylinders adhering at opposite membrane sides. For a membrane in an external harmonic potential, the interaction of adsorbed cylinders is always attractive and increases if forces perpendicular to the membrane act on the cylinders.