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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 1, 2026

Using Scaffold Liposomes to Reconstitute Lipid-proximal Protein-protein Interactions In Vitro

Using Scaffold Liposomes to Reconstitute Lipid-proximal Protein-protein Interactions In Vitro

Published on: January 11, 2017

Shape matters in protein mobility within membranes.

François Quemeneur¹, Jon K Sigurdsson, Marianne Renner

¹Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, F-75248 Paris, France.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|April 8, 2014

Summary

Protein mobility in cell membranes is influenced by membrane shape and tension, not just size. Experiments show membrane tension increases protein movement, especially for specific channels like KvAP.

Keywords:

Brownian motion Saffman–Delbrück drag force internal membrane structure micropipette aspiration

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Last Updated: May 1, 2026

Using Scaffold Liposomes to Reconstitute Lipid-proximal Protein-protein Interactions In Vitro

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Published on: January 11, 2017

Reconstitution of Septin Assembly at Membranes to Study Biophysical Properties and Functions

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Published on: July 28, 2022

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

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Cell Biology
Membrane Protein Dynamics

Background:

Cell membrane protein lateral mobility is traditionally linked to protein size and membrane heterogeneities.
Understanding protein diffusion is crucial for comprehending cellular functions and signaling.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of membrane curvature, tension, and protein shape on protein diffusion within cell membranes.
To elucidate the biophysical mechanisms governing protein mobility in response to membrane physical properties.

Main Methods:

Utilized single-particle tracking techniques on reconstituted cell membranes.
Analyzed the diffusion of specific membrane proteins, including KvAP and AQP0, under varying membrane conditions.

Main Results:

Protein diffusion is significantly affected by the interplay of membrane curvature, tension, and protein shape.
Increased membrane tension enhanced the mobility of the curvature-coupled voltage-gated potassium channel (KvAP).
The curvature-neutral water channel aquaporin 0 (AQP0) showed no change in mobility with altered membrane tension.

Conclusions:

Membrane physical properties like curvature and tension play a critical role in regulating protein lateral mobility.
An effective friction coefficient, influenced by local membrane deformation, explains the observed protein diffusion behaviors.