Anomalously slow domain growth in fluid membranes with asymmetric transbilayer lipid distribution

The effect of asymmetry in the transbilayer lipid distribution on the dynamics of phase separation in fluid vesicles is investigated numerically. This asymmetry is shown to set a spontaneous curvature for the domains that alter the morphology and dynamics considerably. For moderate tension, the domains are capped and the spontaneous curvature leads to anomalously slow dynamics, as compared to the case of symmetric bilayers. In contrast, in the limiting cases of high and low tensions, the dynamics proceeds toward full phase separation. © 2006 The American Physical Society.