FIGURE 3. Mechanisms of membrane deformation.
From the following article:
Membrane curvature and mechanisms of dynamic cell membrane remodelling
Harvey T. McMahon and Jennifer L. Gallop
Nature 438, 590-596 (1 December 2005)
doi:10.1038/nature04396
The phospholipid bilayer can be deformed causing positive or negative membrane curvature. There are five main categories: a, changes in lipid composition; b, influence of integral membrane proteins that have intrinsic curvature or have curvature on oligomerization; c, changes in cytoskeletal polymerization and pulling of tubules by motor proteins; d, direct and indirect scaffolding of the bilayer; e, active amphipathic helix insertion into one leaflet of the bilayer.
