Spontaneous Lipid Nano Tubulation Driven by Automotive Passive Nanoparticles

Lipid nanotubules (LNTs) form an integral part of intracellular and intercellular communication and transport. Recent research interests on these LNTs are owing to their crucial role in the spread of infection from diseased cells and on the other hand its role in the facilitation of drug transport across cells. Hence, it becomes very relevant to investigate the control parameters pertaining to the initiation and inhibition of LNTs. In this study, the role of the membrane phase has been varied to analyze its effect on the properties of LNTs such as tube length, tube stiffness, and growth kinetics such as tubulation and retraction time scale. For the first time, passive nanoparticles have been employed to spontaneously generate dynamically evolving LNT structures encompassing growth and retraction regimes. The results inferred from the controlled model membrane study provides insights about the role of membrane fluidity/rigidity in determining the onset or delay of an infection or drug transfer