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Related Concept Videos

Membrane Lipids01:32

Membrane Lipids

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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...
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What are Lipids?01:38

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What are Lipids?01:31

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Lipids function as structural components of cellular membranes, in addition to acting as energy reservoirs and signaling molecules. They are thus crucial to all living organisms.  The three biologically important classes of lipids are triglycerides, phospholipids, and steroids.
Non-Polar and Hydrophobic Characteristics of Lipids
Lipids are a structurally and functionally diverse group of hydrocarbons—compounds consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The carbon-carbon and...
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Lipids include a diverse group of compounds that are largely nonpolar in nature. This is because they are hydrocarbons that include mostly nonpolar carbon-carbon or carbon-hydrogen bonds. Non-polar molecules are hydrophobic (“water fearing”), or insoluble in water. Lipids perform many different functions in a cell. Cells store energy for long-term use in the form of fats. Lipids also provide insulation from the environment for plants and animals. For example, they help keep aquatic...
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Lipid Digestion01:06

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Lipids are large molecules that are generally not water-soluble. Since most of the digestive enzymes in the human body are water-based, there are specific steps the body must take to break down lipids and make them available for use.
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The cell membrane, or plasma membrane, is an ever-changing landscape. It is described as a fluid mosaic where various macromolecules are embedded in the phospholipid bilayer. Among the macromolecules are proteins. The protein content varies across cell types. For example, mitochondrial inner membranes contain ~76% protein content, while myelin contains ~18% protein content. Individual cells contain many types of membrane proteins—red blood cells contain over 50—and different cell...
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Crystallizing Membrane Proteins for Structure Determination using Lipidic Mesophases
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Crystallizing Membrane Proteins for Structure Determination using Lipidic Mesophases

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Membrane Lipid Nanodomains.

Marek Cebecauer1, Mariana Amaro1, Piotr Jurkiewicz1

  • 1J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences , Dolejškova 3 , 18223 Prague 8 , Czech Republic.

Chemical Reviews
|October 27, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Lipid nanodomains in model membranes are crucial for cellular functions. This review details their formation, properties, and impact, contrasting them with large-scale phase separation.

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Crystallization of Membrane Proteins in Lipidic Mesophases
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Crystallization of Membrane Proteins in Lipidic Mesophases
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Area of Science:

  • Membrane biophysics
  • Lipid self-organization
  • Cellular membrane structure

Background:

  • Cellular membranes exhibit complex lipid organization.
  • Lipid nanodomains are proposed to be vital for cellular functions.
  • Studying nanodomains in living cells is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review lipid nanodomains in model membranes.
  • To contrast nanodomains with large-scale phase separation.
  • To highlight factors influencing nanodomain formation.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on lipid nanodomains.
  • Analysis of model membrane systems.
  • Discussion of theoretical and computational studies.
  • Overview of fluorescence techniques and analytical tools.

Main Results:

  • Lipid nanodomains differ significantly from large-scale phase separation.
  • Chemical, electrostatic, and geometric properties of lipids influence nanodomain formation.
  • Membrane curvature, asymmetry, and ions modulate nanodomain characteristics.
  • Potential formation and dynamics mechanisms are discussed.

Conclusions:

  • Model membranes are essential for understanding lipid nanodomains.
  • Factors like lipid properties and membrane environment are key to nanodomain formation.
  • Further research is needed to bridge model systems and cellular membranes.