Lateral diffusion of membrane lipids and proteins during the cell cycle of neuroblastoma cells

The fluorescence photobleaching recovery method has been used to determine the lateral mobilities of membrane lipids and proteins during the cell cycle of synchronized C1300 mouse neuroblastoma cells (clone Neuro-2A). As probes for lipid mobility, 3,3'-dioctadecylindocarbocyanine iodide and a fluorescein-labeled analog of ganglioside GM1 were used. Membrane proteins were labeled with rhodamine-labeled rabbit antibodies against mouse E14 cells. For both lipid probes the diffusion coefficients reach a minimum in mitosis, increase 2- to 3-fold during G1, remain constant at maximal values during S, and decrease again shortly before mitosis. Membrane proteins also exhibit minimum diffusion coefficients in mitosis, followed by a similar rise in G1. However, as cells proceed through S and G2, the lateral mobility of the membrane proteins gradually decreases. It is argued that lipid mobility is controlled by the fluidity of the membrane lipid matrix whereas protein mobility is governed also by other constraints.