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Related Concept Videos

Mechanisms of Membrane-bending01:15

Mechanisms of Membrane-bending

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The living membranes are flexible due to their fluid mosaic nature; however, their bending into different shapes is an active process regulated by specific lipids and proteins. The membrane bending can be transient as seen in vesicles or stable for a long time as in microvilli. Cells regulate the size, location, and duration of the membrane curvature.
Membrane bending can happen due to intrinsic changes in lipid composition or extrinsic association with different proteins. The proteins involved...
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Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation00:59

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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...
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Protein Diffusion in the Membrane01:24

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Proteins show rotational as well as lateral diffusion across the membrane. The lateral diffusion of proteins was confirmed through the cell fusion experiment where mouse and human cells were fused, resulting in hybrid cells. When the human and mouse cells fused, the specific membrane proteins on human and mouse cells were marked with the red and green-fluorescent markers, respectively. Initially, the red and green fluorescence was located on the respective hemisphere of the cell. As time...
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Fluid Mosaic Model01:19

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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 Fluidity01:26

Membrane Fluidity

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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.
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...
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Membrane Fluidity01:23

Membrane Fluidity

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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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Membrane bending by protein phase separation.

Feng Yuan1, Haleh Alimohamadi2, Brandon Bakka1

  • 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|March 10, 2021
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Membrane-associated protein liquids, driven by disordered proteins, induce membrane bending. This process creates compressive stress, forming protein-lined tubules and revealing a new mechanism for cellular membrane remodeling.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Membrane bending is crucial for fundamental cellular processes like membrane traffic, motility, and division.
  • Traditionally, structured proteins with specific features were considered the main drivers of membrane bending.
  • Many membrane-binding proteins possess intrinsically disordered regions, lacking stable 3D structures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of membrane-associated protein liquids in influencing membrane curvature.
  • To understand how disordered protein networks impact cellular membrane remodeling.

Main Methods:

  • Studied protein phase separation on synthetic and cell-derived membrane vesicles.
  • Analyzed the resulting membrane stress and curvature using biophysical techniques.
  • Developed a mechanical model to correlate membrane rigidity with tubule diameter.

Main Results:

  • Protein liquid formation via phase separation induces significant compressive stress in the membrane plane.
  • This stress drives inward membrane bending, forming protein-lined tubules.
  • A mechanical model accurately predicted the relationship between membrane rigidity and tubule diameter.

Conclusions:

  • Membrane-associated protein liquids, formed by disordered protein networks, can drive membrane bending.
  • This mechanism offers a new perspective on membrane remodeling beyond structured protein scaffolds.
  • The findings are relevant to understanding various cellular protrusions and membrane dynamics.