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Related Concept Videos

Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation00:59

Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation

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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.
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What are Membranes?01:24

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A cell's plasma membrane demarcates the cell's borders and determines the nature of its interaction with the environment. Cells exclude certain substances, take in others, and excrete some others in controlled quantities. The plasma membrane must be flexible to allow certain cells, such as red and white blood cells, to change their shape while passing through narrow capillaries. These are the more obvious plasma membrane functions. In addition, the plasma membrane's surface carries...
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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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Introduction to Membrane Proteins01:16

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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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SNAREs and Membrane Fusion01:43

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Once a transport vesicle has recognized its target organelle, the vesicular membrane needs to fuse with the target membrane to unload the cargo. Transmembrane proteins called SNAREs present on organelle membranes and their vesicles, mediate vesicle fusion.
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Single-pass Transmembrane Proteins01:25

Single-pass Transmembrane Proteins

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Integral membrane proteins are tightly associated with the cell membrane and play a crucial role in cell communication, signaling, adhesion, and transport of the molecules. Some integral membrane proteins are present only in the membrane monolayer. For example, the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase is present in the cytoplasmic side of the membrane monolayer. In contrast, another type of integral membrane protein, also known as a transmembrane protein, spans across the membrane. Transmembrane...
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Updated: Sep 22, 2025

Method to Visualize and Analyze Membrane Interacting Proteins by Transmission Electron Microscopy
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Engineering Functional Membrane-Membrane Interfaces by InterSpy.

Hossein Moghimianavval1, Chintan Patel2, Sonisilpa Mohapatra2

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.

Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|May 26, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

InterSpy is a synthetic biology tool that engineers membrane-membrane interfaces using SpyTag/SpyCatcher. This enables tracking synthetic tissue formation and non-native cellular communication.

Keywords:
cell-free expressionmembrane protein reconstitutionmembrane-membrane interfacessplit-protein reconstitutionsynthetic biology

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Area of Science:

  • Synthetic Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Engineering synthetic interfaces between membranes is crucial for developing non-native cellular communication and synthetic tissues.
  • Existing methods for creating stable membrane-membrane interfaces are limited, hindering advancements in synthetic biology applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce InterSpy, a novel synthetic biology tool for engineering and maintaining membrane-membrane interfaces.
  • To demonstrate the utility of InterSpy in both cell-free systems and mammalian cells for creating synthetic communication pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Developed InterSpy, a heterodimeric protein utilizing the SpyTag/SpyCatcher interaction to link apposing membranes.
  • Incorporated split fluorescent protein fragments into InterSpy for real-time monitoring of interface formation.
  • Utilized a mammalian cell-free expression (CFE) system and co-translational helix insertion for membrane incorporation into liposomes and supported lipid bilayers.

Main Results:

  • Successfully demonstrated the formation and maintenance of membrane-membrane interfaces using InterSpy in liposomes and supported lipid bilayers.
  • Confirmed that functional fluorescent protein reconstitution between membranes was dependent on the SpyTag/SpyCatcher interaction.
  • Validated InterSpy's function in mammalian cells, observing fluorescence reconstitution at cell-cell membrane interfaces.

Conclusions:

  • InterSpy effectively engineers synthetic membrane-membrane interfaces, enabling controlled cellular communication and synthetic tissue construction.
  • Cell-free expression systems are powerful tools for the functional reconstitution of synthetic membrane interfaces.
  • InterSpy technology offers a versatile platform for recreating cell-cell contacts and communication with minimal components.