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

Biosynthesis of Lipids01:29

Biosynthesis of Lipids

527
Microbial membranes exhibit remarkable diversity in lipid composition, reflecting evolutionary adaptations to various environmental conditions. The three domains of life—Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya—synthesize membrane lipids through distinct biosynthetic pathways, leading to fundamental structural differences that impact membrane stability, function, and adaptability.Fatty Acid-Based Lipids in Bacteria and EukaryaBacteria and eukaryotes share a common fatty acid biosynthesis...
527
Plasma Membrane in Bacteria and Archaea01:27

Plasma Membrane in Bacteria and Archaea

1.6K
The plasma membrane is an essential cellular structure responsible for maintaining cellular integrity and regulating the selective transport of molecules. While bacteria and archaea share the fundamental function of plasma membranes, their structural and molecular differences reflect adaptations to distinct ecological and physiological challenges.Bacterial Plasma MembranesBacterial plasma membranes are predominantly composed of phospholipids with fatty acid chains ester-linked to a glycerol...
1.6K
Mechanisms of Membrane-bending01:15

Mechanisms of Membrane-bending

3.3K
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...
3.3K
Surface Appendages of Archaea01:23

Surface Appendages of Archaea

597
Archaeal surface appendages are highly specialized structures essential for environmental adaptation, encompassing roles in adhesion, biofilm formation, and motility. Among these appendages, pili and archaella stand out for their distinct morphologies and functionalities, enabling archaea to thrive in diverse and often extreme environments.Pili: Adhesion and Biofilm FormationPili are filamentous structures assembled from pilin protein subunits, primarily contributing to adhesion and biofilm...
597
Membrane Fluidity01:23

Membrane Fluidity

172.8K
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.
172.8K
Membrane Fluidity01:26

Membrane Fluidity

14.5K
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...
14.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Building bundles by the numbers.

eLife·2026
Same author

3D epithelial cell topology tunes signaling range to promote precise patterning.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Cracking donuts and sorting lipids: Geometry controls archaeal membrane stability and lipid organization.

The Journal of chemical physics·2026
Same author

Supramolecular Assembly of Collagen-Mimetic Peptide D-Periodic Fibrils and Nanoassemblies.

Biomacromolecules·2026
Same author

Structural defects in amyloid-β fibrils drive secondary nucleation.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Overcoming CXCR4-Mediated T-Cell Exclusion Potentiates Antitumor Cytotoxicity in Fibrolamellar Carcinoma.

Gastroenterology·2026
Same journal

Non-canonical amino acid incorporation enables minimally disruptive labeling of stress granule and TDP-43 proteinopathy.

eLife·2026
Same journal

Analysis of dendritic input currents during place field dynamics.

eLife·2026
Same journal

TopoMetry systematically learns and evaluates the latent geometry of single-cell data.

eLife·2026
Same journal

Navigating the path: Advice to physician-scientists on choosing a clinical specialty.

eLife·2026
Same journal

Neural activity profiles reveal overlapping, intermingled subpopulations spanning area borders in mouse sensorimotor cortex.

eLife·2026
Same journal

The exquisite mechanics of a tsetse bite.

eLife·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 15, 2026

Reconstitution of Septin Assembly at Membranes to Study Biophysical Properties and Functions
06:32

Reconstitution of Septin Assembly at Membranes to Study Biophysical Properties and Functions

Published on: July 28, 2022

2.6K

Balancing stability and flexibility when reshaping archaeal membranes.

Miguel Amaral1, Felix Frey1, Xiuyun Jiang2

  • 1Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria.

Elife
|October 7, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Archaea use unique bolalipids for survival. Adding bilayer lipids to these membranes creates stable, flexible structures, crucial for harsh environments and cell division.

Keywords:
archaeabolalipidscellular biophysicscoarse-grained molecular dynamics simulationscomputer simulationsmembrane biophysicsnonephysics of living systems

More Related Videos

Spontaneous Formation and Rearrangement of Artificial Lipid Nanotube Networks as a Bottom-Up Model for Endoplasmic Reticulum
07:49

Spontaneous Formation and Rearrangement of Artificial Lipid Nanotube Networks as a Bottom-Up Model for Endoplasmic Reticulum

Published on: January 22, 2019

8.3K
A Model Membrane Platform for Reconstituting Mitochondrial Membrane Dynamics
10:31

A Model Membrane Platform for Reconstituting Mitochondrial Membrane Dynamics

Published on: September 2, 2020

8.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 15, 2026

Reconstitution of Septin Assembly at Membranes to Study Biophysical Properties and Functions
06:32

Reconstitution of Septin Assembly at Membranes to Study Biophysical Properties and Functions

Published on: July 28, 2022

2.6K
Spontaneous Formation and Rearrangement of Artificial Lipid Nanotube Networks as a Bottom-Up Model for Endoplasmic Reticulum
07:49

Spontaneous Formation and Rearrangement of Artificial Lipid Nanotube Networks as a Bottom-Up Model for Endoplasmic Reticulum

Published on: January 22, 2019

8.3K
A Model Membrane Platform for Reconstituting Mitochondrial Membrane Dynamics
10:31

A Model Membrane Platform for Reconstituting Mitochondrial Membrane Dynamics

Published on: September 2, 2020

8.0K

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Cellular membranes exhibit diversity across life forms.
  • Bacteria and eukaryotes use bilayer membranes; thermophilic archaea utilize bolalipids for extreme environment survival.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the trade-offs in bolalipid membrane formation using a computational model.
  • To understand how archaea adapt membrane properties for survival and function.

Main Methods:

  • A minimal computational model was developed for bolalipid membranes.
  • Simulations explored the conformational behavior of flexible and rigid bolalipids.

Main Results:

  • Flexible bolalipids form U-shaped conformations, resembling bilayer membranes.
  • Rigid bolalipids form straight conformations, leading to stiff membranes prone to pores.
  • Small amounts of bilayer lipids stabilize and fluidize bolalipid membranes.

Conclusions:

  • Archaea can tune membrane properties by incorporating bilayer lipids into bolalipid membranes.
  • This mechanism aids survival in harsh conditions and facilitates membrane remodeling events like cell division.