Mesoscale simulations of curvature inducing protein partitioning in the presence of mean curvature gradients

Theoretical and experimental data predict that curvature inducing proteins segregate to regions of high background membrane curvature. The migration of curvature inducing proteins on the membrane depends on the bending rigidity of the membrane and the protein´s instantaneous curvature field. This protein surface migration was investigated with a Monte Carlo curvilinear membrane model based on the Helfrich Hamiltonian.