It is well known that the phosphorylated phosphoinositide (PIP) lipids play a crucial role in regulation of the cytoskeleton and cell motility. In order to better understand the effect of these lipids on cell membranes, they were studied in reconstituted lipid membranes using a Langmuir trough system. Complex patterns were found to form and vary as a function of phosphoinositide concentration in the membrane. A simple theoretical model, based upon line tension, has been utilized to describe the phases found and the transition from a phase where line tension dominates the membrane structure to a phase where electrostatic charge dominates.
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