Abstract
Sequentially assembling and disassembling protein filaments of increasing curvature has been recently proposed as an operating mechanism for the ESCRT system, a prominent machinery that deforms and cuts cell membranes. We develop a kinetic model that couples filament–membrane adhesion, filament mechanics and membrane mechanics, to explain the role of staged filament assembly/disassembly and identify the physical conditions needed for it to occur. We show that sequential assembly lowers large energy barriers for membrane deformation, providing a robust method for cell reshaping.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Copyright
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.
Posted May 10, 2022.
