Membrane tension lowering induced by protein activity.

D. Faris (1) , D Lacoste (2) , Jacques Pécréaux (1) , J.-F. Joanny (1) , J. Prost (1, 3) , P Bassereau (1)

1 PCC - Physico-Chimie-Curie
2 LPCT - Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie Théorique
3 ESPCI Paris - Ecole Superieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris

Using videomicroscopy we present measurements of the fluctuation spectrum of giant vesicles containing bacteriorhodopsin pumps. When the pumps are activated, we observe a significant increase of the fluctuations in the low wave vector region, which we interpret as due to a lowering of the effective tension of the membrane.

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]

D. Faris, D Lacoste, Jacques Pécréaux, J.-F. Joanny, J. Prost, et al.. Membrane tension lowering induced by protein activity.. Physical Review Letters, 2009, 102 (3), pp.038102. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.038102⟩. ⟨hal-01497153⟩