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Related Concept Videos

What are Membranes?01:54

What are Membranes?

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 Golgi...
Membrane Fluidity01:23

Membrane Fluidity

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.Fatty acids tails of phospholipids can be either saturated or...
What are Membranes?01:24

What are Membranes?

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 markers that...
Membrane Fluidity01:26

Membrane Fluidity

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 a relatively...
Membrane Domains01:18

Membrane Domains

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 anterior...
Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation00:59

Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation

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 cytoskeletal...

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Fundamental Technical Elements of Freeze-fracture/Freeze-etch in Biological Electron Microscopy
11:17

Fundamental Technical Elements of Freeze-fracture/Freeze-etch in Biological Electron Microscopy

Published on: September 11, 2014

Animal septins contain functional transmembrane domains.

Jenna A Perry1, Michael E Werner1, Shizue Omi2

  • 1Department of Biology, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.

Current Biology : CB
|March 29, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Septins are proteins forming filaments crucial for cell structure. Researchers discovered a novel transmembrane domain in septins, revealing a new way these proteins attach to cell membranes, impacting their function.

Keywords:
C. eleganscytoskeletonphylogenyprimatesubcellular localizationtissue morphogenesis

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Lipid-Protein Membrane Structure-Function Characterization using Droplet Interface Bilayers
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Lipid-Protein Membrane Structure-Function Characterization using Droplet Interface Bilayers

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Published on: September 11, 2014

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Lipid-Protein Membrane Structure-Function Characterization using Droplet Interface Bilayers
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Lipid-Protein Membrane Structure-Function Characterization using Droplet Interface Bilayers

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Protein Dynamics

Background:

  • Septins are conserved protein filaments essential for cell structure and function.
  • Septin-membrane interactions are critical but poorly understood.
  • Existing models suggest polybasic regions and amphipathic helices mediate membrane association.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate novel mechanisms of septin-membrane association.
  • To characterize a transmembrane domain (TMD)-containing septin isoform (UNC-61a) in *Caenorhabditis elegans*.
  • To explore the evolutionary conservation and functional significance of TMD-containing septins.

Main Methods:

  • Bioinformatic analysis to identify TMD-containing septins across phylogeny.
  • Expression analysis of UNC-61a in *C. elegans* tissues.
  • Functional assays to assess the role of the TMD in membrane localization and tissue integrity.

Main Results:

  • Identified and characterized UNC-61a, a *C. elegans* septin isoform with a predicted transmembrane domain.
  • The TMD of UNC-61a was essential for the tissue integrity of the egg-laying apparatus.
  • TMD-containing septins are conserved across opisthokonts, and a primate TMD-septin sequence localized to membranes.

Conclusions:

  • Discovered a novel mechanism of septin-membrane association via a transmembrane domain.
  • This TMD provides a direct anchor for septins to cellular membranes.
  • Findings have significant implications for understanding septin regulation, dynamics, and diverse cellular roles.