Molecular dynamics simulations of pore formation dynamics during the rupture process of a phospholipid bilayer caused by high-speed equibiaxial stretching

Rupture of a phospholipid bilayer under mechanical stresses is triggered by pore formation in an intact bilayer. To understand the molecular details of the dynamics of pore formation we perform molecular dynamics simulations of a phospholipid bilayer under two different equibiaxial stretching conditions: first, unsteady stretching with various stretching speeds in the range of 0.1-1.0 m/s, and second, quasistatic stretching. We analyze (i) patterns of pore formation, (ii) the critical area where a pore forms, (iii) the deformation of the bilayer, and (iv) the apparent breaking force. With stretching, the bilayer deforms anisotropically due to lipid chain packing and water penetrating into the hydrophilic region of the bilayer, and when the area exceeds a critical value, water filled pore structure penetrating the bilayer forms and develops into a large pore, resulting in rupture. For a high stretching speed, small pores (multipore) can temporarily form in a small area. It has been statistically determined that the probability of the multipore formation, the critical areal strain, and the apparent breaking force increase with the stretching speed in the range of 0-50%, 0.8-2.0, and 250-400 pN, respectively. The results qualitatively agree with the experimental and other simulation results, and rationalize the leakage of hemoglobin from erythrocytes in shock wave experiments. (c) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.