This paper considers the effect of electrostatics on the
stability of a charged membrane. We show that at low ionic strength and
high surface charge density, repulsion between charges on the membrane
renders it unstable to the formation of holes. A free straight edge is
unstable to modulations with wavelength longer than the Debye screening
length. Hence at low ionic strength, membranes will disintegrate into vesicles.
We use these results to interpret stable holes in red blood cell ghosts
(Steck et. al., Science 168:255(1970)), and suggest implications for controlling
spontaneous vesiculation of membranes. |
