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Related Concept Videos

Protein Diffusion in the Membrane01:24

Protein Diffusion in the Membrane

Proteins show rotational as well as lateral diffusion across the membrane. The lateral diffusion of proteins was confirmed through the cell fusion experiment where mouse and human cells were fused, resulting in hybrid cells. When the human and mouse cells fused, the specific membrane proteins on human and mouse cells were marked with the red and green-fluorescent markers, respectively. Initially, the red and green fluorescence was located on the respective hemisphere of the cell. As time...
Mechanisms of Membrane-bending01:15

Mechanisms of Membrane-bending

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.
Membrane bending can happen due to intrinsic changes in lipid composition or extrinsic association with different proteins. The proteins involved...
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.
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...
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...

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Reconstitution of Septin Assembly at Membranes to Study Biophysical Properties and Functions
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Mobility in geometrically confined membranes.

Yegor A Domanov1, Sophie Aimon, Gilman E S Toombes

  • 1Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 168, Physico-Chimie Curie, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 75248 Paris, France.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|July 20, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Researchers experimentally tested the Saffman-Delbrück theory by measuring lipid and protein diffusion in confined lipid nanotubes. Smaller membrane radii significantly slowed diffusion, supporting the theory

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Published on: May 27, 2012

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Membrane Biology
  • Physical Chemistry

Background:

  • Lipid and protein lateral mobility is crucial for biological processes.
  • The Saffman-Delbrück theory predicts diffusion dependence on protein size and membrane size.
  • Experimental verification of the membrane size prediction was previously inaccessible.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally investigate the effect of membrane geometry on lipid and protein diffusion.
  • To test the Saffman-Delbrück theory in confined membrane systems.
  • To elucidate the role of membrane size in regulating lateral mobility.

Main Methods:

  • Constructed geometrically confined membranes using lipid bilayer nanotubes connected to giant liposomes.
  • Employed single particle tracking of quantum dots attached to lipids or KvAP channels.
  • Varied membrane tube radii from approximately 250 nm down to 10 nm.

Main Results:

  • Lipid and protein diffusion slowed significantly in smaller radius nanotubes.
  • Protein diffusion coefficients decreased up to 5-fold in confined membranes compared to flat liposomes.
  • Observed diffusion data aligns with hydrodynamic theories extending Saffman-Delbrück for cylindrical geometries.

Conclusions:

  • Provides strong experimental support for the Saffman-Delbrück theory.
  • Demonstrates the significant impact of membrane geometry and size on lateral diffusion.
  • Confirms the accessibility of studying membrane size effects in controlled nanotube systems.