Physical principles of membrane remodelling during cell mechanoadaptation

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Cell Biology
• Mechanobiology

Background:

• Cellular processes require dynamic cell shape changes accommodated by the bilayer membrane.
• The biophysical mechanisms governing membrane response to shape alterations are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the fundamental biophysical principles of cell membrane shape adaptation.
• To explain how cell membranes respond to diverse physiological perturbations.

Main Methods:

• Investigated the 3D remodeling of cell membranes.
• Analyzed the mechanical and energetic principles governing membrane invaginations.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that membrane shape changes result from a passive, local, and rapid mechanical process.
• Identified membrane invaginations as energy-minimizing structures for storing membrane area and liquid volume.
• Showed that cells actively reabsorb these invaginations within minutes.

Conclusions:

• The cell membrane's response to physiological changes is primarily a passive mechanical process.
• Membrane invaginations are a key mechanism for accommodating and releasing cellular volume.
• Active cellular processes manage the timescale of membrane remodeling.