Plasma Membrane Dynamics

Dear Colleagues,

Cellular membranes are the target of 70% of drugs. Cellular membranes are highly heterogeneous composites made of lipids and proteins that provide the essential boundary of the cell’s environment and between the different intracellular organelles. Membranes actively participate in the regulation of the metabolic and biochemical pathways of cells. Fundamental cellular functions, such as signaling, vesicle trafficking, or cell migration, as well as the nutritional- and waste-exchange between the cells and organelles, pass through or are generated on the membranes of the cells.

Back in the 1970s, the seminal model proposed by Singer and Nicolson described biological membranes as a fluid mosaic of protein molecules embedded into a lipid bilayer. In recent years, this model has been evolving to integrate novel insights on the molecular structure and dynamics of membranes, as well as on their mechanical properties.

The permanent dynamic and reversible remodeling of cellular membranes, including the temporary association of proteins and/or lipids, and the formation of specialized domains, regulates the biological function of membranes. Reorganization mechanisms are (i) inherent to the membrane components themselves, and are (ii) related to the interaction of the membrane with dedicated proteins, the cytoskeleton, and/or extracellular components.

Novel concepts in the field of membrane biology benefit from the increasing number of inter- and multi-disciplinary approaches conciliating the fundamental features of biological membranes with cellular and even multi-cellular functions.  For instance, numerical simulation, as well as biochemical, biophysical, and structural approaches providing different scales of descriptions of membranes have been successfully combined with other fields of expertise, including cellular and developmental biology, immunology, virology, or bacteriology, among others.

We invite contributions exploring distinct aspects of cell membrane dynamics, through studies on different experimental systems—in vivo, in vitro, or model systems—and using different technical approaches. Both original research articles and reviews are encouraged. Together, these contributions should provide an integrated view of the functions, roles, and implications of cell membrane dynamics.

Dr. Ignacio Casuso
Dr. Laura Picas
Guest Editors

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