Biophysical Journal 61: 1117-1121 (1992)
© 1992 the Biophysical Society

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Electrostatics of membrane adhesion.

Department of Applied Mathematics, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra ACT.

ABSTRACT

We consider electrical double layer interaction under the conditions typically encountered during membrane fusion. Within the physiological concentration range of monovalent electrolytes the interaction is repulsive and the Poisson-Boltzmann calculation may be used to evaluate the force. When divalent counterions are added, strong ion-ion correlations make the Poisson-Boltzmann approximation inapplicable. We use the anisotropic hypernetted chain method to show that in the presence of small amounts of divalent counterions in adsorption equilibrium with the surfaces, the double layer interaction turns into attraction. This attractive electrostatic force may be the balancing contribution controlling membrane adhesion.