This study theoretically investigates how anisotropic curved membrane components (CMCs) control vesicle morphology through curvature sensing, nematic alignment, topological defects and volume constraints. By comparing arc- and saddle-shaped CMCs, we identify a rich spectrum of steady-state phases. For fully CMC-covered vesicles, arc-shaped components drive a pearling-to-cylinder transition as nematic interactions strengthen, while on partially CMC-covered vesicles the saddle-shaped CMCs stabilize necks between the convex regions of bare membrane. We map the steady-state shapes of vesicles partially covered by arc- and saddle-shaped CMCs, exposing how different vesicle shapes depend on the interplay between nematic interactions and volume constraints, revealing several novel phases. By investigating the in-plane nematic field, we find that topological defects consistently localize to high-curvature regions, revealing how intrinsic and deviatoric curvature effects cooperate in membrane remodeling. These findings establish a unified framework for understanding how proteins and lipid domains with anisotropic intrinsic curvature shape cellular structures—from organelle morphogenesis to global cell shape.
Ravid et al. (Thu,) studied this question.