Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Membrane Domains01:18

Membrane Domains

7.9K
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...
7.9K
Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation00:59

Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation

4.2K
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...
4.2K
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer01:35

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

10.5K
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%...
10.5K
Membrane Lipids01:32

Membrane Lipids

35.1K
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...
35.1K
Fluid Mosaic Model01:19

Fluid Mosaic Model

18.6K
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...
18.6K
Membrane Fluidity01:26

Membrane Fluidity

17.2K
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...
17.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

When Citrate Accumulates: A New Metabolic Driver of Renal Lipotoxicity in Chronic Kidney Disease.

Acta physiologica (Oxford, England)·2026
Same author

Often forgotten but essential: long-chain acyl-CoAs in metabolic control.

Nature metabolism·2026
Same author

Male obesity causes adipose mitochondrial dysfunction in F<sub>1</sub> mouse progeny via a let-7-DICER axis.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Acyl-CoA Binding Protein in White and Brown Adipose Tissue Is Dispensable for Systemic Energy Metabolism in Mice.

Acta physiologica (Oxford, England)·2026
Same author

Randle cycle in practice: a student exercise to teach glucose and fatty acid metabolism in fasted, fed, and exercised states.

Advances in physiology education·2025
Same author

Metabolic effects of medium-chain triacylglycerol consumption are preserved in obesity.

American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Lipidomics and Transcriptomics in Neurological Diseases
09:58

Lipidomics and Transcriptomics in Neurological Diseases

Published on: March 18, 2022

4.1K

Sphingolipids: membrane microdomains in brain development, function and neurological diseases.

Anne S B Olsen1, Nils J Færgeman2

  • 1Villum Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark.

Open Biology
|June 2, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Sphingolipids are vital for brain function and development, forming crucial membrane microdomains. Disruptions in sphingolipid metabolism are linked to neurological diseases.

Keywords:
braingangliosidemembrane microdomainneurological diseaseraftsphingolipid

More Related Videos

Ganglioside Extraction, Purification and Profiling
10:05

Ganglioside Extraction, Purification and Profiling

Published on: March 12, 2021

5.3K
A Pipeline to Investigate the Structures and Signaling Pathways of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors
12:27

A Pipeline to Investigate the Structures and Signaling Pathways of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors

Published on: June 8, 2022

4.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Lipidomics and Transcriptomics in Neurological Diseases
09:58

Lipidomics and Transcriptomics in Neurological Diseases

Published on: March 18, 2022

4.1K
Ganglioside Extraction, Purification and Profiling
10:05

Ganglioside Extraction, Purification and Profiling

Published on: March 12, 2021

5.3K
A Pipeline to Investigate the Structures and Signaling Pathways of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors
12:27

A Pipeline to Investigate the Structures and Signaling Pathways of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors

Published on: June 8, 2022

4.0K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Sphingolipids are abundant in the nervous system, essential for plasma membrane structure and function.
  • They regulate cellular events by forming membrane microdomains involved in neuronal differentiation, synaptic transmission, and myelin stability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the critical role of sphingolipids in brain development and function.
  • To elucidate how sphingolipid metabolism disruptions contribute to neurological disease pathogenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on sphingolipid roles in the nervous system.
  • Analysis of the impact of altered sphingolipid metabolism on membrane microdomains and neuronal health.

Main Results:

  • Sphingolipids are key regulators of membrane compartmentalization, influencing diverse neuronal processes.
  • Heterogeneity of membrane microdomains is increasingly attributed to the diversity of sphingolipids.
  • Perturbations in sphingolipid metabolism lead to membrane rearrangements linked to neurological disorders.

Conclusions:

  • Sphingolipids are indispensable for normal brain development and function through their role in membrane microdomains.
  • Dysregulation of sphingolipid metabolism and subsequent microdomain alterations are implicated in the pathophysiology of various neurological diseases.