Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Crystallization of Membrane Proteins in Lipidic Mesophases
Published on: March 28, 2011
Crystalline, ordered and disordered lipid membranes: convergence of stress profiles due to ergosterol
Juan M Vanegas1, Marjorie L Longo, Roland Faller
1Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California 95616, United States.
Abstract:
We present a simulation study focusing on modulations of the stress, or lateral pressure, profiles of lipid bilayer phases by addition of a sterol, ergosterol, at multiple temperatures. A major redistribution of lateral and normal pressures across the gel-phase bilayer required 10 mol % sterol in comparison to a gradual redistribution beginning at 20 mol % for the liquid phase. Stress profiles across all temperatures converged at 30 mol % ergosterol. Redistribution and merging of stress profiles, associated with structural alterations, are coincident with experimentally observed modulations in mechanical properties and therefore are suggested as the mechanism of action for this biologically necessary role of sterols.
Related Concept Videos
Biosynthesis of Lipids
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer
Assembly of the Lipid Bilayer in the ER
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 Fluidity
Membrane Fluidity
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 Domains
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...

