Beating Vesicles: Encapsulated Protein Oscillations Cause Dynamic Membrane Deformations

Abstract: The bacterial Min protein system was encapsulated in giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). Using confocal fluorescence microscopy, we identified several distinct modes of spatiotemporal patterns inside spherical GUVs. For osmotically deflated GUVs, the vesicle shape actively changed in concert with the Min oscillations. The periodic relocation of Min proteins from the vesicle lumen to the membrane and back is accompanied by drastic changes in the mechanical properties of the lipid bilayer. In particular, two types of oscillating membrane‐shape changes are highlighted: 1) GUVs that repeatedly undergo fission into two connected compartments and fusion of these compartments back into a dumbbell shape and 2) GUVs that show periodic budding and subsequent merging of the buds with the mother vesicle, accompanied by an overall shape change of the vesicle reminiscent of a bouncing ball. These findings demonstrate how reaction–diffusion‐based protein self‐organization can directly yield visible mechanical effects on membrane compartments, even up to autonomous division, without the need for coupling to cytoskeletal elements.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Beating Vesicles: Encapsulated Protein Oscillations Cause Dynamic Membrane Deformations ; volume:57 ; number:50 ; year:2018 ; pages:16286-16290 ; extent:5 ; Angewandte Chemie / International edition. International edition ; 57, Heft 50 (2018), 16286-16290 (gesamt 5)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Litschel, Thomas ; Ramm, Beatrice ; Maas, Roel ; Heymann, Michael ; Schwille, Petra

Further information

• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201808750
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2022090620391088537545
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:33 AM CEST