COOPERATIVE DYNAMICS OF QUASI-1D LIPID STRUCTURES AND LATERAL TRANSPORT IN BIOLOGICAL-MEMBRANES

A model for the dynamics of quasi-1D lipid structures in biological me mbranes is proposed. The model takes into account interactions between the lipid heads and hydro-carbon chains, the description of their rel axation dynamics being based on the phenomenological Ginzburg-Landau a pproach. It is shown that in lateral linear structures of lipids, a so liton-like excitation can propagate with constant velocity. The latter in turn may provide for lateral transport of matter and for membrane conformation changes.