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From The Cover
ENGINEERING / BIOPHYSICS
Mechanics of receptor-mediated endocytosis

Huajian Gao^,, Wendong Shi, and Lambert B. Freund

Max Planck Institute for Metals Research, Heisenbergstrasse 3, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany; and Division of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912

Contributed by Lambert B. Freund, May 10, 2005

Most viruses and bioparticles endocytosed by cells have characteristic sizes in the range of tens to hundreds of nanometers. The process of viruses entering and leaving animal cells is mediated by the binding interaction between ligand molecules on the viral capid and their receptor molecules on the cell membrane. How does the size of a bioparticle affect receptor-mediated endocytosis? Here, we study how a cell membrane containing diffusive mobile receptors wraps around a ligand-coated cylindrical or spherical particle. It is shown that particles in the size range of tens to hundreds of nanometers can enter or exit cells via wrapping even in the absence of clathrin or caveolin coats, and an optimal particles size exists for the smallest wrapping time. This model can also be extended to include the effect of clathrin coat. The results seem to show broad agreement with experimental observations.

cell adhesion | vesicle budding | virus | biomembrane | receptor-ligand binding

Abbreviations: CNT, carbon nanotube; SWNT, single-walled nanotube.

To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: hjgao{at}mf.mpg.de.

© 2005 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA

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Related Commentary in PNAS:

Shedding light on the dynamics of endocytosis and viral budding

Gang Bao and X. Robert Bao
PNAS 2005 102: 9997-9998. [Extract] [Full Text]  

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