Fig. 4: Curvature-dependent cholesterol dynamics and distribution.
From: Nonuniversal impact of cholesterol on membranes mobility, curvature sensing and elasticity
The sketch depicts the lateral positions of cholesterol molecules within the upper and lower leaflets (upper and lower panels, respectively) of a DOPC bicelle at atomistic resolution. Snapshots at distinct times, denoted as positive curvature (a, at time t1) and negative curvature (b, at time t2 > t1), showcase the dynamic redistribution of cholesterol. The central domain, highlighted in green with a radius of 7 nm, serves as a reference. Cholesterol molecules departing from the central domain of the respective leaflet between these two snapshots are depicted in red, while molecules moving into the central domain of the upper/lower leaflet are represented in orange. The inset figures were created with BioRender.com.
