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Cited by 25Force Microscopy Techniques and ApplicationsLipid Membrane Structure and BehaviorElectrostatics and Colloid Interactions

Cell-inspired, massive electromodulation of friction via transmembrane fields across lipid bilayers

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Zhang, Yu, Jin, Di, Tivony, Ran, Kampf, Nir, Klein, Jacob·2024·Nature Materials
DOI 10.1038/s41563-024-01926-9
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Abstract

Transient electric fields across cell bilayer membranes can lead to electroporation and cell fusion, effects crucial to cell viability whose biological implications have been extensively studied. However, little is known about these behaviours in a materials context. Here we find that transmembrane electric fields can lead to a massive, reversible modulation of the sliding friction between surfaces coated with lipid-bilayer membranes-a 200-fold variation, up to two orders of magnitude greater than that achieved to date. Atomistic simulations reveal that the transverse fields, resembling those at cell membranes, lead to fully reversible electroporation of the confined bilayers and the formation of inter-bilayer bridges analogous to the stalks preceding intermembrane fusion. These increase the interfacial dissipation through reduced hydration at the slip plane, forcing it to revert in part from the low-dissipation, hydrated lipid-headgroup plane to the intra-bilayer, high-dissipation acyl tail interface. Our results demonstrate that lipid bilayers under transmembrane electric fields can have striking materials modification properties.

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  • An alternative pathway for membrane fusion arises from electroporation induced by transmembrane potentials in the absence of proteins.

    “Here we uncover an alternative pathwaymembrane fusion arising from electroporation induced by transmembrane potentials 8,9 in absence of proteins.”

    From Fusion of lipid membranes: an alternative pathway (2026) · cites this paper as [9]

    The paper reports transmembrane-field-induced electroporation in membrane-only simulations (MD simulation method; page unavailable). Its Conclusions describe the resulting stalk-like bridges as precursors to hemifusion, not as demonstrated membrane fusion. The claimed pathway to fusion therefore goes beyond what this source establishes. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Electropores may form under external electric fields and can also arise spontaneously in naturally occurring systems due to transient transmembrane potentials arising from bilayer-surface charge fluctuations.

    “Electropores may form under external electric fields 9 and can also arise spontaneously in naturallyoccuring (particularly biological) systems due to transient transmembrane potentials arising from bilayer-surface charge flucuations 8,12,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] .”

    From Fusion of lipid membranes: an alternative pathway (2026) · cites this paper as [9]

    The opening section says that electric fields arising from cell-membrane potential fluctuations lead to bilayer electroporation, supporting the claim that pores can arise in biological systems. It does not specify that those fluctuations arise from bilayer-surface charge fluctuations or describe the pore formation as spontaneous. No page number is available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • The analysis employs biased molecular-dynamics simulations building on pioneering work on splayed lipids and fusion stalks, and is motivated by the earlier finding that pronounced interfacial dissipation observed between sliding bilayers under transmembrane electric fields arises from spontaneous stalk formation.

    “Our analysis employs biased molecular-dynamics simulations building on pioneering work on splayed lipids and fusion stalks 10,13,14,18,32,33 , and is motivated by our earlier finding that the pronounced interfacial dissipation observed between sliding bilayers under transmembrane electric fields arises from spontaneous stalk formation 9 .”

    From Fusion of lipid membranes: an alternative pathway (2026) · cites this paper as [9]

    Split into 2 atoms — 0 confirmed, 2 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

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  • This topologically and energetically distinct pathway for membrane fusion is of particular interest because transmembrane potentials, of similar magnitude to those (ca. 0.1 V/nm) leading to electropores in lipid bilayers, may occur naturally across lipid membranes of vesicles and cells.

    “This topologically and energetically distinct pathway for membrane fusion is of particular interest because transmembrane potentials, of similar magnitude to those (ca.0.1V/nm) leading to electropores in lipid bilayers, may occur naturally across lipid membranes of vesicles and cells, as recently demonstrated 8,12 , as well as under external application 9,34 .”

    From Fusion of lipid membranes: an alternative pathway (2026) · cites this paper as [9]

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Cites

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Zhang, Y., Jin, D., Tivony, R., Kampf, N., & Klein, J.
Affiliations
  • Weizmann Institute of Science (IL)
  • Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (IL)
ORCID
Venue
Nature Materials
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2024-06-24
Volume
23
Issue
12
Pages
1720-1727
ISSN
  • 1476-1122 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4660
DOI
10.1038/s41563-024-01926-9
OpenAlex
W4399977127
Cited by
25
References
7
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 1
FWCI
3.61
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Materials (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • arXiv (Cornell University)
Funders
  • European Commission (743016)
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (3618/21)
  • Israel Science Foundation (1229/20)
  • H2020 European Research Council (743016)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
  • Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Physical and Theoretical Chemistry › Electrostatics and Colloid Interactions
Keywords
transmembrane electric field, lipid bilayers, electroporation, cell fusion, sliding friction, hydration, slip planes, atomistic simulation
MeSH terms
Cell Membrane, Electricity, Lipid Bilayers, Friction, Electroporation, Molecular Dynamics Simulation

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