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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...
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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.
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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.
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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.
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A key characteristic of life is the ability to separate the external environment from the internal space. To do this, cells have evolved semi-permeable membranes that regulate the passage of biological molecules. Additionally, the cell membrane defines a cell’s shape and interactions with the external environment. Eukaryotic cell membranes also serve to compartmentalize the internal space into organelles, including the endomembrane structures of the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum and...
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Author Spotlight: Advancing Cell Membrane Biophysics - Exploring Interactions and Challenges Through Experimental and Computational Approaches
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A Molecular Look at Membranes.

Max Berkowitz1

  • 1Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

Current Topics in Membranes
|January 20, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Computer simulations reveal structural and dynamic properties of membranes. This approach offers insights into lipid rafts and antimicrobial peptide interactions with model membranes.

Area of Science:

  • Computational biophysics
  • Molecular modeling

Background:

  • Advances in computational power enable complex system simulations.
  • Molecular dynamics (MD) and Monte Carlo (MC) methods are powerful simulation tools.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate the utility of computer simulations for studying membrane properties.
  • To investigate structural and dynamical aspects of model membranes.
  • To examine membrane interactions with other molecules.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.
  • Employing Monte Carlo (MC) computer simulation techniques.
  • Studying systems with large conformational spaces.

Main Results:

  • Computer simulations provide insights into membrane structural and dynamical properties.
Keywords:
Antimicrobial peptidesComputer simulationsLipid membranesLipid raftsMelittinMolecular dynamics and Monte Carlo

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  • Analysis of structural properties of lipid rafts in model membranes.
  • Investigation of model membrane interactions with the antimicrobial peptide melittin.

    • Conclusions:

    • Computer simulations are effective for exploring complex membrane systems.
    • This methodology offers a glimpse into lipid raft organization.
    • Simulations elucidate the interaction mechanisms between membranes and peptides.