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Related Concept Videos

Membrane Fluidity01:23

Membrane Fluidity

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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.
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Membrane Fluidity01:26

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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...
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Fluid Mosaic Model01:19

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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...
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Mechanisms of Membrane-bending01:15

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The living membranes are flexible due to their fluid mosaic nature; however, their bending into different shapes is an active process regulated by specific lipids and proteins. The membrane bending can be transient as seen in vesicles or stable for a long time as in microvilli. Cells regulate the size, location, and duration of the membrane curvature.
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Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation00:59

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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.
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Biosynthesis of Lipids01:29

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Microbial membranes exhibit remarkable diversity in lipid composition, reflecting evolutionary adaptations to various environmental conditions. The three domains of life—Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya—synthesize membrane lipids through distinct biosynthetic pathways, leading to fundamental structural differences that impact membrane stability, function, and adaptability.Fatty Acid-Based Lipids in Bacteria and EukaryaBacteria and eukaryotes share a common fatty acid biosynthesis...
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Single Molecule Methods for Monitoring Changes in Bilayer Elastic Properties
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Hydration effects on membrane structure probed by single molecule orientations.

Heath A Huckabay1, Robert C Dunn

  • 1Ralph N. Adams Institute for Bioanalytical Chemistry, University of Kansas , 2030 Becker Drive, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States.

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|February 16, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Single molecule fluorescence reveals structural changes in DPPC lipid bilayers with varying relative humidity (RH). As RH increases, lipid molecule orientation shifts from normal to parallel to the membrane surface.

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Author Spotlight: Advancing Cell Membrane Biophysics - Exploring Interactions and Challenges Through Experimental and Computational Approaches
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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Materials Science
  • Surface Chemistry

Background:

  • Understanding lipid bilayer structure is crucial for cell membrane function.
  • Supported lipid bilayers offer model systems to study membrane properties.
  • Relative humidity significantly impacts the structural integrity and dynamics of lipid bilayers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate structural changes in glass-supported DPPC bilayers under varying relative humidity.
  • To compare DPPC bilayers formed by vesicle fusion and Langmuir-Blodgett/Langmuir-Schäfer transfer.
  • To probe molecular orientation and dynamics using single-molecule fluorescence.

Main Methods:

  • Defocused polarized total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy.
  • Utilizing BODIPY-PC as a fluorescent lipid analogue in DPPC membranes.
  • Analyzing population histograms of emission dipole tilt angles.

Main Results:

  • Bimodal distributions of BODIPY-PC orientation (parallel and normal to the membrane) were observed.
  • Increasing relative humidity (13% to 95%) caused a shift from normal to parallel molecular orientation.
  • Lateral mobility of BODIPY-PC increased exponentially with RH, but remained below 6%.

Conclusions:

  • Both vesicle fusion and LB/LS transfer methods yield comparable DPPC bilayer behavior with respect to RH.
  • Single molecule orientation dynamics reveal significant freedom in the acyl chain region, even with limited lateral diffusion.
  • Single-molecule measurements provide novel insights into membrane properties.