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Related Concept Videos

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.
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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...
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer01:35

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

Biological membranes show uneven distribution of different types of lipids in the inner and outer layers, resulting in transverse asymmetric membranes. The treatment of the erythrocyte membrane with the enzyme phospholipase confirmed the asymmetric nature of the lipid bilayer. The enzyme hydrolyzes lipids into fatty acids and hydrophilic groups. The phospholipase acts only on the outer layer of the membrane, while the inner layer remains intact. The phospholipase treatment resulted in 80%...
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Mitochondrial Membranes

A single mitochondrion is a bean-shaped organelle enclosed by a double-membrane system. The outer membrane of mitochondria is smooth and contains many porins - the integral membrane transporters. Porins enable free diffusion of ions and small uncharged molecules through the outer mitochondrial membrane but limit the transport of molecules larger than 5000 Daltons. Further, the outer mitochondrial membrane forms a unique structure called membrane contact sites with other subcellular organelles,...
Mitochondrial Membranes01:45

Mitochondrial Membranes

A single mitochondrion is a bean-shaped organelle enclosed by a double-membrane system. The outer membrane of mitochondria is smooth and contains many porins - the integral membrane transporters. Porins enable free diffusion of ions and small uncharged molecules through the outer mitochondrial membrane but limit the transport of molecules larger than 5000 Daltons. Further, the outer mitochondrial membrane forms a unique structure called membrane contact sites with other subcellular organelles,...
What are Membranes?01:54

What are Membranes?

A key characteristic of life is the ability to separate the external environment from the internal space. To do this, cells have evolved semi-permeable membranes that regulate the passage of biological molecules. Additionally, the cell membrane defines a cell’s shape and interactions with the external environment. Eukaryotic cell membranes also serve to compartmentalize the internal space into organelles, including the endomembrane structures of the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi...
What are Membranes?01:24

What are Membranes?

A cell's plasma membrane demarcates the cell's borders and determines the nature of its interaction with the environment. Cells exclude certain substances, take in others, and excrete some others in controlled quantities. The plasma membrane must be flexible to allow certain cells, such as red and white blood cells, to change their shape while passing through narrow capillaries. These are the more obvious plasma membrane functions. In addition, the plasma membrane's surface carries markers that...

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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Biomembrane Fabrication by the Solvent-assisted Lipid Bilayer (SALB) Method
09:38

Biomembrane Fabrication by the Solvent-assisted Lipid Bilayer (SALB) Method

Published on: December 1, 2015

Supported double membranes.

David H Murray1, Lukas K Tamm, Volker Kiessling

  • 1Center for Membrane Biology, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 22908, USA.

Journal of Structural Biology
|February 25, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a novel supported double membrane system for studying biological processes near two lipid bilayers. This system, using tethered vesicles, mimics cellular compartments like the bacterial periplasm.

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Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film
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Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions

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Last Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Biomembrane Fabrication by the Solvent-assisted Lipid Bilayer (SALB) Method
09:38

Biomembrane Fabrication by the Solvent-assisted Lipid Bilayer (SALB) Method

Published on: December 1, 2015

Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film
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Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film

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Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions
12:18

Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions

Published on: August 3, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Membrane Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Planar model membranes, such as supported lipid bilayers and surface-tethered vesicles, are valuable tools for studying complex biological functions in simplified membrane environments.
  • Investigating biological processes occurring in the narrow spaces between two lipid bilayers, like the bacterial periplasm or synaptic clefts, requires specialized model systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce and characterize a novel supported double membrane system.
  • To enable studies of biological processes occurring in the proximity of two lipid bilayers.
  • To provide a platform for mimicking cellular compartments with closely apposed membranes.

Main Methods:

  • Tethering large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) to a preformed supported bilayer using biotin-streptavidin linkages.
  • Utilizing single particle tracking (SPT) to assess vesicle mobility.
  • Employing fluorescence interference contrast (FLIC) microscopy to determine the distance between bilayers.
  • Incorporating transmembrane proteins (syntaxin-1A) for mobility studies.

Main Results:

  • Tethered vesicles demonstrated mobility above the supported membrane plane.
  • At higher concentrations, tethered vesicles fused to form a continuous second bilayer.
  • The distance between the two bilayers was measured to be 16–24 nm using FLIC microscopy.
  • Lateral diffusion of lipids in the second bilayer was comparable to supported membranes.
  • Mobility of reconstituted syntaxin-1A was not enhanced compared to solid supported membranes.

Conclusions:

  • The developed supported double membrane system is a viable model for studying biological phenomena in confined interbilayer spaces.
  • This system offers a unique platform for investigating processes in environments like the bacterial periplasm and neuronal synaptic clefts.
  • While the system supports lipid diffusion, it does not inherently improve transmembrane protein mobility compared to single supported bilayers.