Phospholipid Scramblases Remodel the Shape of Asymmetric Membranes

The cell membrane and many organellar membranes are asymmetric and highly curved. In experiments, it is challenging to reconstitute and characterize membranes that differ in the lipid composition of their leaflets. Here we use molecular dynamics simulations to study the large-scale membrane shape changes associated with lipid shuttling between asymmetric leaflets. We exploit leaflet asymmetry to create a stable, near-spherical vesicle bud...