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Diffusion in a fluid membrane with a flexible cortical cytoskeleton.

Thorsten Auth¹, Nir S Gov

¹Department of Materials and Interfaces, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel; Institute for Solid State Research, Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany. t.auth@fz-juelich.de

Biophysical Journal

|February 3, 2009

Summary

The study models how a flexible protein network affects protein diffusion in cell membranes, like the red blood cell. It predicts increased diffusion with fewer anchor proteins or stretched cytoskeletons due to altered potential barriers.

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Area of Science:

Biophysics
Cell Biology
Membrane Dynamics

Background:

The red blood cell membrane features a lipid bilayer and a cortical cytoskeleton, a network of proteins crucial for cell structure and function.
Protein diffusion within the membrane is vital for cellular processes, but can be influenced by underlying cytoskeletal structures.

Purpose of the Study:

To model the influence of a flexible, anchored protein network (cytoskeleton) on protein diffusion within a fluid membrane.
To predict how changes in cytoskeletal anchoring and stretching affect the diffusion coefficient of mobile membrane proteins, such as band 3 protein.

Main Methods:

Developed a model for a flexible protein network anchored to a fluid membrane, simulating the red blood cell's cortical cytoskeleton and lipid bilayer.
Utilized the pressure field exerted by the cytoskeleton on the membrane, considering steric repulsion, to define a potential landscape for protein diffusion.
Analyzed changes in diffusion coefficients under conditions of reduced anchor proteins (relevant to hemolytic anemias) and varying degrees of cytoskeletal stretching (isotropic and anisotropic).

Main Results:

Predicted an overall increase in protein diffusion when the number of anchor proteins is reduced.
Observed increased diffusion for anisotropic stretching of the cytoskeleton, particularly in the direction of the stretch.
Attributed these diffusion changes to a decrease in the spatial frequency and height of the potential barriers created by the cytoskeleton.

Conclusions:

The flexibility and anchoring of the cortical cytoskeleton significantly modulate protein diffusion in the cell membrane.
Altering cytoskeletal structure, either by changing anchor proteins or mechanical stretching, can predictably alter membrane protein mobility.
These findings provide insights into membrane dynamics relevant to red blood cell function and diseases like hemolytic anemia.