Biophysical Journal 70: 146-166 (1996)
© 1996 the Biophysical Society

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hansen, J C Articles by Hoger, A Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hansen, J C Articles by Hoger, A

An elastic network model based on the structure of the red blood cell membrane skeleton.

Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093, USA.

ABSTRACT

A finite element network model has been developed to predict the macroscopic elastic shear modulus and the area expansion modulus of the red blood cell (RBC) membrane skeleton on the basis of its microstructure. The topological organization of connections between spectrin molecules is represented by the edges of a random Delaunay triangulation, and the elasticity of an individual spectrin molecule is represented by the spring constant, K, for a linear spring element. The model network is subjected to deformations by prescribing nodal displacements on the boundary. The positions of internal nodes are computed by the finite element program. The average response of the network is used to compute the shear modulus (mu) and area expansion modulus (kappa) for the corresponding effective continuum. For networks with a moderate degree of randomness, this model predicts mu/K = 0.45 and kappa/K = 0.90 in small deformations. These results are consistent with previous computational models and experimental estimates of the ratio mu/kappa. This model also predicts that the elastic moduli vary by 20% or more in networks with varying degrees of randomness. In large deformations, mu increases as a cubic function of the extension ratio lambda 1, with mu/K = 0.62 when lambda 1 = 1.5.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Q. Zhu and R. J. Asaro Spectrin Folding versus Unfolding Reactions and RBC Membrane Stiffness Biophys. J., April 1, 2008; 94(7): 2529 - 2545. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Paul, P. Heil, J. P. Spatz, and U. S. Schwarz Propagation of Mechanical Stress through the Actin Cytoskeleton toward Focal Adhesions: Model and Experiment Biophys. J., February 15, 2008; 94(4): 1470 - 1482. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. F. Coughlin and D. Stamenovic A Prestressed Cable Network Model of the Adherent Cell Cytoskeleton Biophys. J., February 1, 2003; 84(2): 1328 - 1336. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. An, M. C. Lecomte, J. A. Chasis, N. Mohandas, and W. Gratzer Shear-Response of the Spectrin Dimer-Tetramer Equilibrium in the Red Blood Cell Membrane J. Biol. Chem., August 23, 2002; 277(35): 31796 - 31800. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. T. Charras and M. A. Horton Determination of Cellular Strains by Combined Atomic Force Microscopy and Finite Element Modeling Biophys. J., August 1, 2002; 83(2): 858 - 879. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]