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Related Concept Videos

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...
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...
Molecular Chaperones and Protein Folding03:00

Molecular Chaperones and Protein Folding

The native conformation of a protein is formed by interactions between the side chains of its constituent amino acids. When the amino acids cannot form these interactions, the protein cannot fold by itself and needs chaperones. Notably, chaperones do not relay any additional information required for the folding of polypeptides; the native conformation of a protein is determined solely by its amino acid sequence. Chaperones catalyze protein folding without being a part of the folded protein.
The...
Molecular Chaperones and Protein Folding03:00

Molecular Chaperones and Protein Folding

The native conformation of a protein is formed by interactions between the side chains of its constituent amino acids. When the amino acids cannot form these interactions, the protein cannot fold by itself and needs chaperones. Notably, chaperones do not relay any additional information required for the folding of polypeptides; the native conformation of a protein is determined solely by its amino acid sequence. Chaperones catalyze protein folding without being a part of the folded protein.
The...
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...
Cell Motility through Blebbing01:16

Cell Motility through Blebbing

Blebs are a type of membrane protrusion formed by the internal hydrostatic pressure of the cytoplasm. Blebs are observed in several cell types, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and single-celled organisms like the amoeba. The primary function of blebs is cell locomotion and apoptosis, but they are also found during necrosis and cell division. The life cycle of a bleb comprises an initiation phase followed by the expansion and retraction phases.
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Pulling Membrane Nanotubes from Giant Unilamellar Vesicles
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Membrane bending by protein-protein crowding.

Jeanne C Stachowiak1, Eva M Schmid, Christopher J Ryan

  • 1The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Austin, Texas 78712, USA. jcstach@austin.utexas.edu

Nature Cell Biology
|August 21, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Cellular membrane curvature is essential for cell function. A new study reveals that protein-protein crowding, not just protein shape or insertion, efficiently bends membranes by generating lateral pressure.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Curved membranes are vital for cellular structures like organelles and endocytic pits.
  • Existing models for protein-induced membrane bending include scaffolding and helix insertion.
  • Computational studies question the efficiency of the helix-insertion model at physiological protein densities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate alternative mechanisms for protein-induced membrane bending.
  • To propose and validate a novel mechanism involving protein-protein interactions.
  • To understand how proteins efficiently alter membrane shape in cellular processes.

Main Methods:

  • Correlating membrane tubulation with measured protein densities on membrane surfaces.
  • Studying proteins involved in clathrin-mediated endocytosis, such as epsin1 and AP180.
  • Utilizing green fluorescent protein (GFP) to test the crowding hypothesis with unrelated proteins.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that lateral pressure from protein-protein crowding drives membrane bending.
  • Found that protein coverage above approximately 20% is sufficient for membrane bending.
  • Showed that even non-specialized proteins like GFP can bend membranes when concentrated.

Conclusions:

  • Propose protein-protein crowding as a third general mechanism for bending fluid cellular membranes.
  • This crowding mechanism provides a more efficient explanation for protein-induced membrane curvature.
  • The crowded protein environment on cellular membranes significantly contributes to membrane shape changes.