Revealing the dynamic choreography inside multilayer vesicles

Double-membrane vesicles have inner and outer lipid bilayers. While scientists previously predicted that these membranes fold and warp themselves into a variety of shapes, researchers could not observe the rearrangement experimentally. So, Mayorga and Masone used molecular dynamics calculations together with an algorithm developed by Bart Bruininks and colleagues to virtually "segment" the layers so they can be seen separately.

After running dozens of simulations with different vesicle sizes and lipid compositions, five common shapes were identified: oblates and prolates (elongated or flattened blobs), toroids (doughnuts), stomatocytes (cup shapes) and spheroids. This work, say the researchers, offers insight into the "unexpected inner intricacies" of how lipid bodies spontaneously self-organize.