Gating of a mechanosensitive channel due to cellular flows

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-11-2015

Abstract

A multiscale continuum model is constructed for a mechanosensitive (MS) channel gated by tension in a lipid bilayer membrane under stresses due to fluid flows. We illustrate that for typical physiological conditions vesicle hydrodynamics driven by a fluid flow may render the membrane tension sufficiently large to gate a MS channel open. In particular, we focus on the dynamic opening/ closing of a MS channel in a vesicle membrane under a planar shear flow and a pressure-driven flow across a constriction channel. Our modeling and numerical simulation results quantify the critical flow strength or flow channel geometry for intracellular transport through a MS channel. In particular, we determine the percentage of MS channels that are open or closed as a function of the relevant measure of flow strength. The modeling and simulation results imply that for fluid flows that are physiologically relevant and realizable in microfluidic configurations stress-induced intracellular transport across the lipid membrane can be achieved by the gating of reconstituted MS channels, which can be useful for designing drug delivery in medical therapy and understanding complicated mechanotransduction.

Identifier

84938908252 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1512152112

e-ISSN

10916490

ISSN

00278424

PubMed ID

26216988

First Page

9822

Last Page

9827

Issue

32

Volume

112

Grant

1222550

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

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