Stable tubular microexovesicles of the erythrocyte membrane induced by dimeric amphiphiles

It is experimentally observed that adding a dimeric cationic amphiphile to the erythrocyte suspension results in a release of stable tubular microexov esicles from the erythrocyte membrane. Theoretical description starts from the single-inclusion energy, which takes into account anisotropic shape of the dimeric amphiphile. It is shown explicitly that the tubular shape of th e microexovesicle is the extremal to the functional yielding the maximum of the average curvature deviator. It is derived for which intrinsic shapes o f the membrane inclusions created by the intercalated amphiphiles the maxim um of the average curvature deviator coincides with the minimum of the memb rane free energy-thereby determining the stable tubular shape.