Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Fluorescence-Based Measurements of Phosphatidylserine/Phosphatidylinositol 4-Phosphate Exchange Between Membranes
Published on: March 14, 2021
Spectrin maintains the lateral order in phosphatidylserine monolayers
J M Thompson1, R E Ellis, E M Green
1School of Physics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
We investigate the effect of the skeletal protein spectrin on the lateral order in dipalmitoyl phosphatidylserine monolayers spread on aqueous surfaces using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. Without spectrin, the condensed lipid monolayer exhibits two-dimensional hexagonal packing, characterized by monotonic decrease in the d-spacing and increase in the degree of order with increasing surface pressure between 17 and 36 mN/m. Addition of spectrin to the aqueous subphase at high pressures preserves the monolayers structural parameters unchanged from 36 to 25 mN/m. These results demonstrate for the first time that spectrin could participate in sustaining the two-dimensional order in lipid domains through a direct interaction with phosphatidylserine species.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer
Membrane Asymmetry Regulating Transporters
Flippase
Eukaryotic flippases are type-IV P-type ATPases or P4-ATPases belonging to P-type ATPase family proteins that are membrane-bound pumps involved in the ATP-mediated transport of ions and molecules across the membrane. Flippases flip specific phospholipids from the outer to the inner leaflet of a membrane. All P4-ATPases have one...
Assembly of the Lipid Bilayer in the ER
A large chunk of any biological membrane is composed of phospholipids. These lipids have a heterogeneous distribution across different subcellular organelles and even between...
Tail-anchoring of Proteins in the ER Membrane
Mechanism of Filopodia Formation
Their main function is to guide migrating cells during normal tissue morphogenesis or cancer metastasis by recognizing and making initial contacts with the extracellular matrix. However, they can also act as stationary cell anchors or help to establish communication...
Role of Septins
Cellular Functions of Septins
Recent studies have revealed the multifaceted roles of septins in various cellular processes such as cytokinesis, ciliogenesis, and neurogenesis. Septins act as scaffolds and...

