ABSTRACT
Cellular membranes serve as a permeability barrier that large
water-soluble charged nanoparticles (macro-ions) are unable to
penetrate by simple diffusion. Intra-and extracellular transport of
such macro-ions is still possible by a dynamic membrane shape
transformation that involves a change of membrane curvature
(encapsulation) (Ha¨gerstrand et al., 1999). For example, clathrin-
mediated endocytosis controls the curvature of the coated transport
vesicles. Membrane vesiculation can also be induced by self-
assembly of membrane-adhering choleratoxin molecules (Schara
et al., 2009).
