Date: 07.07.2023, Time: 15:30h

Location: Room change! LMU Faculty of Physics, Schellingstr. 4, H030
The talk will also be streamed online.

Membrane remodeling, including fusion and fission, plays a crucial role in various cellular processes. However, understanding the intricacies of these topological changes can be challenging due to the involvement of large-scale membrane rearrangements and their sensitivity to small-scale molecular behavior. Moreover, these remodeling events face significant free-energy barriers that necessitate the presence of catalytic proteins. In this work, we utilize self-consistent field theory (SCFT) in combination with the string method to identify the Minimum Free Energy Path (MFEP). We thereby determine the most probable pathway for specific remodeling transitions implicated in cellular signaling and organelle division. By extending conventional SCFT methods, we introduce proteins inspired by the dynamin family, which facilitate fission by constricting membrane tubes. We fine that the free energy barrier to fission is depends strongly on membrane tension and constriction. In addition to simply constricting the membrane, dynamin's PH domains are inserted between lipid head groups, inducing membrane distortion. Our results emphasize the crucial role of this distortion in reducing the free energy barrier to fission. This research sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of membrane remodeling and provide insights into cellular processes involving topological changes.