Curvature-Induced Spatial Ordering of Composition in Lipid Membranes

Phase segregation of membranal components, such as proteins, lipids, and cholesterols, leads to the formation of aggregates or domains that are rich in specific constituents. This process is important in the interaction of the cell with its surroundings and in determining the cell’s behavior and fate. Motivated by published experiments on curvature-modulated phase separation in lipid membranes, we formulate a mathematical model aiming at studying the spatial ordering of composition in a two-component biomembrane that is subjected to a prescribed (imposed) geometry. Based on this model, we identified key nondimensional quantities that govern the biomembrane response and performed numerical simulations to quantitatively explore their influence. We reproduce published experimental observations and extend them to surfaces with geometric features (imposed geometry) and lipid phases beyond those used in the experiments. In addition, we demonstrate the possibility for curvature-modulated phase separation above the critical temperature and propose a systematic procedure to determine which mechanism, the difference in bending stiffness or difference in spontaneous curvatures of the two phases, dominates the coupling between shape and composition.