Trace membrane additives affect lipid phases with distinct mechanisms: a modified Ising model.
Rebecca L Meerschaert1, Christopher V Kelly
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
European Biophysics Journal : EBJ
|March 31, 2015
Summary
Membrane additives alter lipid phase behavior. This study models how additives affect lipid miscibility, influencing processes like lipid-raft formation and molecular sorting.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Membrane Biophysics
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Membrane additives modulate lipid phase behavior and transition temperatures.
- Additives can influence lipid dynamics by partitioning or mixing into phases.
- Understanding these effects is crucial for processes like lipid-raft formation and molecular sorting.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model the impact of trace molecules on coexisting liquid phases in membranes.
- To differentiate mechanisms of additive influence: preferential partitioning vs. preferential mixing.
- To provide a framework for quantifying additive effects on lipid phase-dependent processes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a minimalistic nearest-neighbor model.
- Explored additive concentrations up to 3 mol% (mole fraction).
- Simulated effects of rotationally asymmetric (Janus) and symmetric additives.
Main Results:
- Increasing additive concentration linearly altered phase miscibility temperature.
- Janus particles consistently reduced miscibility transition temperature.
- Symmetric additives modulated miscibility temperature based on phase preference.
Conclusions:
- Additive partitioning and mixing mechanisms have distinct effects on lipid phase behavior.
- This model quantifies how membrane composition changes influence lipid phase dynamics.
- Findings offer insights into lipid-raft association and molecular sorting in membranes.
More Related Videos
12:18Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions
Published on: August 3, 2021
4.2K
10:31A Liposome Membrane Permeability Assay for Investigating the Effects of Phosphatidylinositol Phosphate Groups on Membranotropic Action of Venom PLA2
Published on: September 26, 2025
658
Related Concept Videos
01:26Membrane Fluidity
18.3K
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...
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...
18.3K
01:23Membrane Fluidity
179.9K
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.
179.9K
01:35Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer
11.2K
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%...
11.2K
01:19Fluid Mosaic Model
20.3K
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...
20.3K
01:29Biosynthesis of Lipids
909
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...
909
01:32Membrane Lipids
35.8K
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...
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...
35.8K