Issue 29, 2021

The dynamic face of lipid membranes

Abstract

Cell membranes – primarily composed of lipids, sterols, and proteins – form a dynamic interface between living cells and their environment. They act as a mechanical barrier around the cell while selectively facilitating material transport, signal transduction, and various other functions necessary for the cell viability. The complex functionality of cell membranes and the hierarchical motions and responses they exhibit demand a thorough understanding of the origin of different membrane dynamics and how they are influenced by molecular additives and environmental cues. These dynamic modes include single-molecule diffusion, thermal fluctuations, and large-scale membrane deformations, to name a few. This review highlights advances in investigating structure-driven dynamics associated with model cell membranes, with a particular focus on insights gained from neutron scattering and spectroscopy experiments. We discuss the uniqueness of neutron contrast variation and its remarkable potential in probing selective membrane structure and dynamics on spatial and temporal scales over which key biological functions occur. We also present a summary of current and future opportunities in synergistic combinations of neutron scattering with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to gain further understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying complex membrane functions.

Graphical abstract: The dynamic face of lipid membranes

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
01 Maijs 2021
Accepted
30 Jūn. 2021
First published
08 Jūl. 2021

Soft Matter, 2021,17, 6910-6928

The dynamic face of lipid membranes

S. Gupta and R. Ashkar, Soft Matter, 2021, 17, 6910 DOI: 10.1039/D1SM00646K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements