Chapter 19. Cation-induced vesicle fusion modulated by polymers and proteins

K. Arnold
Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Department of Medicine,
University of Leipzig, Germany

1. Introduction

2. Cellular and artificial fusion processes - an introduction

2.1. Artificial and natural cell-cell fusion
2.2. Intracellular fusion
2.3. Virus-cell fusion
2.4. Vesicle fusion

3.1. Mixing of membrane lipids
3.2. Intermixing of vesicle content

4.1. Cation-induced aggregation
4.2. Hydration repulsion
4.3. Hydrophobic attraction
4.4. Steric forces
4.5. Effect of cations and polymers on water layers between membranes

5.1. Cation-induced fusion
5.2. Polarity decrease of bilayer surfaces
5.3. Modulation of cation-induced fusion by poly(ethylene glycol)
5.4. Polyanion-induced fusion
5.5. Cation-induced fusion modulated by proteins

6.1. Correlation of intramembrane and intermembrane interactions
6.2. Role of non-bilayer structures
6.3. Hydrophobic point defects
6.4. Role of proteins

Acknowledgments

References