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Related Concept Videos

Rab Cascades01:25

Rab Cascades

Rab GTPases act in a regulated cascade during membrane fusion, helping the lipid bilayers mix. The Rab family of proteins are active when bound to GTP, and inactive when bound to GDP. Hence, they act as guanine nucleotide-dependent molecular switches. Rab-GTP recognizes and binds to long or short-range tethering proteins to capture the target vesicle. These tethers coordinate with SNAREs on the vesicle and the target membrane to assemble the trans SNARE complex that locks the mixing bilayers.
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 Asymmetry Regulating Transporters01:19

Membrane Asymmetry Regulating Transporters

Enzymes like flippase, floppase, and scramblase transfer phospholipids from one layer to another in the membrane, thereby affecting membrane asymmetry.
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...
Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation01:31

Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

Cells migrating in response to external stimuli form lamellipodia, which are thin membrane protrusions supported by a mesh of linked, branched, or unbranched actin filaments. These actin filaments interact with myosin motor proteins, creating the dynamic actomyosin complex within the cytoskeleton. Contractility, or the ability to generate contractile stress, is inherent to the actomyosin complex. It helps cells detect the stiffness of the surrounding ECM and exert contractile force for...
Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins01:21

Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins

Cell polarity is the asymmetric distribution of cellular and membrane components, making one side of the cell different from the other. This polarity is essential to many processes such as embryogenesis, axon migration, glucose transport across epithelial cells, and directional cell migration. A migrating cell responds to intracellular or extracellular signals via molecular cascades that reorganize the actin cytoskeleton to establish this polarity. In these cells, the Rho family proteins Cdc42,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Formation of Biomembrane Microarrays with a Squeegee-based Assembly Method
07:56

Formation of Biomembrane Microarrays with a Squeegee-based Assembly Method

Published on: May 8, 2014

Membrane rafting: from apical sorting to phase segregation.

Unal Coskun1, Kai Simons

  • 1Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany. coskun@mpi-cbg.de

FEBS Letters
|December 29, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The lipid raft concept explains membrane organization, evolving from cell sorting to a general principle. Dynamic nanoscale membrane domains, crucial for cell signaling and trafficking, are now well-supported by advanced research methods.

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Formation of Biomembrane Microarrays with a Squeegee-based Assembly Method
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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Membrane Biophysics

Background:

  • The lipid raft hypothesis emerged to explain membrane sub-compartmentalization.
  • Early theories focused on apical sorting in epithelial cells.
  • Initial research relied on detergent extraction methods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the historical development of the lipid raft concept.
  • To illustrate the evolution of raft research from basic sorting to general membrane organization.
  • To highlight the shift towards sophisticated methodologies in studying membrane domains.

Main Methods:

  • Historical literature review.
  • Analysis of methodological advancements in membrane research.
  • Synthesis of findings from various experimental techniques.

Main Results:

  • The lipid raft concept has evolved significantly over time.
  • Modern methods confirm the existence of dynamic raft domains.
  • These domains are nanoscale assemblies of lipids and proteins.

Conclusions:

  • Lipid rafts are dynamic, fluctuating nanoscale assemblies.
  • They play critical roles in membrane signaling and trafficking.
  • The concept has transitioned from a specialized mechanism to a fundamental principle of membrane organization.