Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Membrane Domains

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...

Biosynthesis of Lipids

Biosynthesis of Lipids

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 pathway, which...

Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation

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...

Halogenation of Alkenes

Halogenation of Alkenes

Halogenation is the addition of chlorine or bromine across the double bond in an alkene to yield a vicinal dihalide. The reaction occurs in the presence of inert and non-nucleophilic solvents, such as methylene chloride, chloroform, or carbon tetrachloride.
Consider the bromination of cyclopentene. Molecular bromine is polarized in the proximity of the π electrons of cyclopentene. An electrophilic bromine atom adds across the double bond, forming a cyclic bromonium ion intermediate.

Regioselectivity of Electrophilic Additions to Alkenes: Markovnikov's Rule

Regioselectivity of Electrophilic Additions to Alkenes: Markovnikov's Rule

If a set of reactants can yield multiple constitutional isomers, but one of the isomers is obtained as the major product, the reaction is said to be regioselective. In such reactions, bond formation or breaking is favored at one reaction site over others.
The hydrohalogenation of an unsymmetrical alkene can yield two haloalkane products, depending on which vinylic carbon takes up the halogen. However, one product usually predominates, where hydrogen adds to the vinylic carbon bearing the...

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

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%...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Identifying Novel Estrogenic Mitochondrial Targets in Hypothalamic Proopiomelanocortin Neurons by Chemoproteomics.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

The multiple sclerosis drug fingolimod induces pore-like membrane defects, contributing to its antimicrobial activity.

The Journal of biological chemistry·2026

Same author

Multiple Sclerosis Drug Fingolimod Exhibits Antibacterial Activity through Bacterial Membrane Permeabilization.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Tandem-Trapped Ion Mobility Spectrometry as a Platform for Conformationally Resolved Analysis of Protein Complexes and Biologics.

Analytical chemistry·2026

Same author

Logarithmic Binding and Stretched-Exponential Kinetics in Peripheral Protein Interactions with Lipid Membrane Surfaces.

The journal of physical chemistry letters·2026

Same author

Solute flux through a fluctuating membrane channel.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 2026

Method to Visualize and Analyze Membrane Interacting Proteins by Transmission Electron Microscopy

Method to Visualize and Analyze Membrane Interacting Proteins by Transmission Electron Microscopy

Published on: March 5, 2017

Halothane changes the domain structure of a binary lipid membrane.

Michael Weinrich¹, Hirsh Nanda, David L Worcester

¹National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, United States. Mw287k@nih.gov

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids

|February 23, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Inhalational anesthetics like halothane specifically alter lipid membrane composition. Nonanesthetic halocarbons do not cause these significant lipid redistribution effects, revealing anesthetic-specific interactions.

More Related Videos

Realistic Membrane Modeling Using Complex Lipid Mixtures in Simulation Studies

Realistic Membrane Modeling Using Complex Lipid Mixtures in Simulation Studies

Published on: September 1, 2023

Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film

Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film

Published on: July 10, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 24, 2026

Method to Visualize and Analyze Membrane Interacting Proteins by Transmission Electron Microscopy

Method to Visualize and Analyze Membrane Interacting Proteins by Transmission Electron Microscopy

Published on: March 5, 2017

Realistic Membrane Modeling Using Complex Lipid Mixtures in Simulation Studies

Realistic Membrane Modeling Using Complex Lipid Mixtures in Simulation Studies

Published on: September 1, 2023

Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film

Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film

Published on: July 10, 2016

Area of Science:

Membrane biophysics
Anesthesiology
Structural biology

Background:

Inhalational anesthetics are widely used in medicine.
Their precise molecular mechanisms, particularly interactions with cell membranes, remain incompletely understood.
Lipid membranes exhibit complex phase behaviors and domain organization.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the specific effects of the inhalational anesthetic halothane on lipid membrane phase equilibria.
To compare the effects of halothane with a nonanesthetic halogenated compound, dichlorohexafluorocyclobutane (F6).
To elucidate the molecular basis of anesthetic action at the membrane level.

Main Methods:

Utilized X-ray and neutron diffraction studies.
Investigated a binary lipid membrane system.
Analyzed lipid redistribution between domains based on d-spacings and isotope composition.

Main Results:

Halothane induced a significant redistribution of lipids between different membrane domains at physiological concentrations.
These domain changes were identified by distinct lamellar d-spacings and isotope compositions.
Dichlorohexafluorocyclobutane (F6), a nonanesthetic, did not produce comparable significant effects on lipid distribution.

Conclusions:

Inhalational anesthetics exert specific effects on the mixing phase equilibria of lipid mixtures.
The observed lipid redistribution suggests a direct interaction of halothane with membrane lipid organization.
These findings provide insights into the membrane-centric mechanisms of general anesthesia.