Topology of protocells: do nanoholes catalyse fission ?

Abstract

We propose a mechanism with a low activation energy for lipid translocation, based on a change of topology of the membrane of a protocell. The inner and outer layers are connected and form toroidal nanoholes stabilised by repulsive electrostatic forces for small radius and attractive elastic forces for large radius. Thanks to these holes, the energy barrier of translocation is drastically reduced and a difference of temperature between the inside and the outside of the protocell can induce a differential growth of these layers, until the vesicle splits in two.