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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...
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%...
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...
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...
Membrane Lipids01:32

Membrane Lipids

Lipids are an essential component of all biological membranes. The average lipid content in mammalian membranes is 50%, though it can be as low as 20% in the inner mitochondrial membrane or as high as 80% in the myelin sheath present around the nerve cells.
Phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, and sphingomyelin are the most common phospholipids present in mammalian membranes. At physiological pH, phosphatidylserine is negatively charged, while the other three...
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...

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Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging and Force Spectroscopy of Supported Lipid Bilayers
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Published on: July 22, 2015

Phase behavior and domain size in sphingomyelin-containing lipid bilayers.

Robin S Petruzielo1, Frederick A Heberle, Paul Drazba

  • 1Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|January 23, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Accurately measuring membrane raft size is key to cell function. This study used Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) to determine raft sizes, finding they are between 2-7nm in radius.

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Membrane biophysics
  • Lipidomics

Background:

  • Membrane rafts are crucial for cellular stability and function, but their precise size remains debated.
  • Existing measurements for sphingomyelin (SM)/phospholipid/cholesterol systems vary widely, from nanometers to microns.
  • Accurate raft size determination is essential for understanding their biological roles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To accurately measure the size of membrane raft domains in model lipid systems.
  • To investigate the influence of sphingomyelin (SM) chain length on raft domain size.
  • To reconcile disparate raft size measurements using complementary biophysical techniques.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to establish phase diagrams.
  • Combined FRET with small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) for spatial sensitivity in domain size estimation.
  • Investigated mixtures of porcine brain SM (bSM)/dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC)/cholesterol (Chol) and bSM/1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC)/Chol.

Main Results:

  • FRET data indicated coexisting liquid domains in bSM/POPC/Chol mixtures at 15 and 25°C.
  • SANS detected no domain formation in bSM/POPC/Chol, suggesting liquid domains are smaller than SANS detection limits (~7nm).
  • For palmitoyl SM (PSM)/POPC/Chol, SANS detected coexisting liquid domains, indicating larger sizes than in bSM/POPC/Chol.

Conclusions:

  • Liquid domains in bSM/POPC/Chol mixtures are estimated to be between 2-7nm in radius.
  • The discrepancy between FRET and SANS results for bSM/POPC/Chol highlights the importance of technique sensitivity.
  • Replacing natural SM with synthetic PSM increases raft domain size, suggesting SM chain length modulates raft dimensions in vivo.