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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.
Protein Domains
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...
Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation00:59

Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation

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.
Another mechanism for membrane domain formation involves membrane proteins interacting with cytoskeletal...
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 Fluidity01:26

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...

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Phase Behavior of Charged Vesicles Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Solution Conditions Monitored with Fluorescence Microscopy
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Published on: October 24, 2017

Interleaflet coupling and domain registry in phase-separated lipid bilayers.

G Garbès Putzel1, Mark J Uline, Igal Szleifer

  • 1Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.

Biophysical Journal
|February 16, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Interleaflet coupling in lipid/cholesterol membranes strengthens with increased saturated lipid concentration. This coupling, quantified by mismatch free energy, explains the lack of observed domain registry fluctuations in microscopy experiments.

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

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Area of Science:

  • Membrane biophysics
  • Soft matter physics
  • Computational chemistry

Background:

  • Lipid bilayers exhibit liquid-liquid phase separation, crucial for membrane function.
  • Interleaflet coupling influences the organization and dynamics of lipid domains.
  • Understanding this coupling is key to deciphering membrane heterogeneity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify interleaflet coupling in phase-separated lipid/cholesterol membranes.
  • To investigate the relationship between coupling strength and domain alignment.
  • To explain the absence of observed domain registry fluctuations.

Main Methods:

  • Molecular mean-field model for calculating mismatch free energy (γ).
  • Statistical mechanical model of coupled fluctuating domain interfaces.
  • Exact solution using quantum mechanics-statistical mechanics correspondence.

Main Results:

  • Mismatch free energy (γ) increases with saturated lipid concentration, ranging from 0.01-0.03 k(B)T/nm(2).
  • A characteristic length scale for fluctuations out of domain registry was derived.
  • This length scale is on the order of nanometers, weakly dependent on coupling strength.

Conclusions:

  • Interleaflet coupling is a significant factor in lipid/cholesterol membrane organization.
  • The derived nanometer-scale fluctuations explain the lack of optical microscopy observations.
  • This work provides a quantitative framework for understanding membrane domain behavior.