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Related Concept Videos

Membrane Fluidity01:26

Membrane Fluidity

Membrane fluidity is explained by the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane, which describes the plasma membrane structure as a mosaic of components—including phospholipids, cholesterol, proteins, and carbohydrates—that gives the membrane a fluid character.
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is a relatively...
Membrane Fluidity01:23

Membrane Fluidity

Cell membranes are composed of phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates loosely attached to one another through chemical interactions. Molecules are generally able to move about in the plane of the membrane, giving the membrane its flexible nature called fluidity. Two other features of the membrane contribute to membrane fluidity: the chemical structure of the phospholipids and the presence of cholesterol in the membrane.Fatty acids tails of phospholipids can be either saturated or...
Membrane Domains01:18

Membrane Domains

The membrane domains concentrate specific lipids and proteins at one place within the membrane, which helps in cell signaling, adhesion, and other critical cellular processes. These domains can differ in size, composition, function, and lifespan.
Protein Domains
The membrane comprises a group of distinct proteins responsible for carrying out a cell's specific function. For example, the plasma membrane of the human sperm, or a single germ cell, contains a unique set of proteins in the anterior...
Fluid Mosaic Model01:19

Fluid Mosaic Model

Scientists identified the plasma membrane in the 1890s and its principal chemical components (lipids and proteins) by 1915. The model for plasma membrane structure, proposed in 1935 by Hugh Davson and James Danielli, was the first model to be widely accepted in the scientific community. The model was based on the plasma membrane's "railroad track" appearance in early electron micrographs. Davson and Danielli theorized that the plasma membrane's structure resembled a sandwich with the analogy of...
Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation00:59

Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation

Different physical properties of lipids and proteins allow them to localize and form distinct islands or domains in the membrane. Some membrane domains are formed due to protein-protein interactions, whereas others are formed due to the presence of specific lipids such as sphingolipids and sterols—for example, large proteins, such as bacteriorhodopsin, aggregate and create distinct domains.
Another mechanism for membrane domain formation involves membrane proteins interacting with cytoskeletal...
SNAREs and Membrane Fusion01:43

SNAREs and Membrane Fusion

Once a transport vesicle has recognized its target organelle, the vesicular membrane needs to fuse with the target membrane to unload the cargo. Transmembrane proteins called SNAREs present on organelle membranes and their vesicles, mediate vesicle fusion.
SNAREs exist in pairs that symmetrically interact and catalyze the fusion of the lipid bilayers in vesicle and target organelle. v-SNARE in the vesicle membrane are single polypeptide chains that bind to a complementary t-SNARE, composed of 2...

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Lipid-Protein Membrane Structure-Function Characterization using Droplet Interface Bilayers
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Lipid-Protein Membrane Structure-Function Characterization using Droplet Interface Bilayers

Published on: June 12, 2026

Transition from complete to partial wetting within membrane compartments.

Yanhong Li1, Reinhard Lipowsky, Rumiana Dimova

  • 1Theory & Bio-Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Science Park Golm, 14424 Potsdam, Germany.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|August 21, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers observed a wetting transition in a mesoscopic membrane compartment for the first time. Increasing polymer concentration in a giant vesicle caused a PEG-rich phase to shift from complete to partial membrane wetting.

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Area of Science:

  • Colloid and Surface Science
  • Soft Matter Physics
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Wetting and dewetting are common phenomena, but experimental observation of wetting transitions is rare.
  • Mesoscopic systems offer unique platforms for studying interfacial phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report the first observation of a wetting transition within a mesoscopic membrane compartment.
  • To investigate the effect of polymer concentration on wetting behavior in a giant vesicle.

Main Methods:

  • Encapsulation of a two-phase aqueous polymer solution (poly(ethyleneglycol) and dextran) within a giant vesicle.
  • Manipulation of polymer concentration to induce changes in phase behavior.
  • Microscopy to observe wetting and dewetting dynamics at the membrane interface.

Main Results:

  • A clear wetting transition was observed in the mesoscopic membrane compartment.
  • The poly(ethyleneglycol)-rich phase transitioned from complete wetting to partial wetting of the membrane.
  • This transition was induced by increasing the polymer concentration within the vesicle.

Conclusions:

  • Mesoscopic membrane compartments can exhibit tunable wetting transitions.
  • Polymer concentration is a critical factor controlling wetting behavior in such systems.
  • This work provides a novel experimental model for studying wetting phenomena.