Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

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%...
Assembly of the Lipid Bilayer in the ER01:28

Assembly of the Lipid Bilayer in the ER

Biological membranes are more than just a barrier separating cell cytoplasm from the outside environment. They are highly dynamic and help maintain the integrity and physiological stability of the cells as well as membrane-bound organelles. Membranes also play vital roles in cell-to-cell and intracellular communication.
A large chunk of any biological membrane is composed of phospholipids. These lipids have a heterogeneous distribution across different subcellular organelles and even between...
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 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 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...
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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Biorefinery-inspired, two-step valorization strategy to manage plant-based recalcitrant organic waste, involving solvent extraction, and fermentation with <i>Bacillus clausii</i>-a proof of concept study.

Frontiers in microbiology·2025
Same author

Syncollin is an antibacterial polypeptide.

Cellular microbiology·2021
Same author

Modes of action of the archaeal Mre11/Rad50 DNA-repair complex revealed by fast-scan atomic force microscopy.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2020
Same author

Oligomers of the lipodystrophy protein seipin may co-ordinate GPAT3 and AGPAT2 enzymes to facilitate adipocyte differentiation.

Scientific reports·2020
Same author

Purification of Recombinant ESCRT-III Proteins and Their Use in Atomic Force Microscopy and In Vitro Binding and Phosphorylation Assays.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2019
Same author

Nanoscale Mobility of the Apo State and TARP Stoichiometry Dictate the Gating Behavior of Alternatively Spliced AMPA Receptors.

Neuron·2019
Same journal

Quercetin suppresses TGF-β1-induced proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells via the Smad2/3/MMP-9 signaling axis.

Biochemical and biophysical research communications·2026
Same journal

Biosynthesis, characterization and biological potential of microbe-mediated silver nanoparticles using thermophilic actinomycetes, Streptomyces nigra.

Biochemical and biophysical research communications·2026
Same journal

COP9 signalosome 8 mediated autophagy drives proliferation, invasion, and metastasis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Biochemical and biophysical research communications·2026
Same journal

Tumor budding in colorectal cancer: partial EMT, microenvironmental remodeling, and metastatic competence.

Biochemical and biophysical research communications·2026
Same journal

Exploring the therapeutic versatility and multitarget pharmacological potential of acyl hydrazone-hydrazide scaffolds.

Biochemical and biophysical research communications·2026
Same journal

The plasma membrane H<sup>+</sup>-ATPase OSA2 negatively regulates salt tolerance in rice seedlings.

Biochemical and biophysical research communications·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging and Force Spectroscopy of Supported Lipid Bilayers
10:15

Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging and Force Spectroscopy of Supported Lipid Bilayers

Published on: July 22, 2015

Phase separation in lipid bilayers triggered by low pH.

Swetha Suresh1, J Michael Edwardson

  • 1Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, UK.

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
|August 4, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Acidification during endocytosis triggers lipid bilayer phase separation in mixed-chain lipids. This process, observed via atomic force microscopy, may influence protein clustering and cell signaling.

More Related Videos

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

Phase Behavior of Charged Vesicles Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Solution Conditions Monitored with Fluorescence Microscopy
10:08

Phase Behavior of Charged Vesicles Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Solution Conditions Monitored with Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: October 24, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging and Force Spectroscopy of Supported Lipid Bilayers
10:15

Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging and Force Spectroscopy of Supported Lipid Bilayers

Published on: July 22, 2015

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

Phase Behavior of Charged Vesicles Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Solution Conditions Monitored with Fluorescence Microscopy
10:08

Phase Behavior of Charged Vesicles Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Solution Conditions Monitored with Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: October 24, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Membrane Biology

Background:

  • Endocytosis captures cell surface membrane into vesicles.
  • These vesicles rapidly acidify to approximately pH 5.
  • Lipid composition of the plasma membrane is crucial for its function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of endosomal acidification on lipid bilayer phase separation.
  • To determine if specific lipid compositions are susceptible to pH-induced phase changes.
  • To explore the potential role of this phenomenon in endocytic protein clustering and signaling.

Main Methods:

  • Atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging was employed to visualize lipid bilayers.
  • Lipid bilayers with defined compositions (mixed acyl chains, unsaturated chains, complex mixtures) were created.
  • The effect of acidification to pH 5 on these bilayers was analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Acidification to pH 5 induced phase separation in lipid bilayers containing mixed acyl chains and complex brain lipid extracts.
  • Lipid bilayers composed solely of unsaturated chains (e.g., dioleoyl) did not exhibit phase separation under acidic conditions.
  • Mixed-chain lipids are prevalent in the plasma membrane's outer leaflet.

Conclusions:

  • Endosomal acidification can trigger lipid phase separation in specific membrane compositions.
  • This pH-dependent phase separation may be a mechanism supporting protein clustering during endocytosis.
  • The findings suggest a novel role for lipid dynamics in regulating cell signaling pathways involved in endocytosis.