Lipid exchange during contact between oppositely charged lipid bilayers

The mechanistic details of processes occurring in and during contact between lipid bilayers are still poorly understood due to their complexity on the mesoscopic scale. Here, we analyze lipid exchange during contact of oppositely charged lipid bilayers. Specifically, we explore a generic mechanism, where this process occurs via diffusion of individual lipids between the layers. Our estimates indicate that this scenario is feasible on the time scale of conventional experiments and also on the time scale of biochemical processes in cells.