Functional Mechanisms of the Plasma Membrane
A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Biological Membrane Dynamics and Computation".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 420
Special Issue Editors
2. Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
Interests: single molecule spectroscopy; super-resolution microscopy; biophysics; nanoscale electrostatics
Interests: fluorescence fluctuation; molecular dynamics; super-resolution microscopy; membrane models
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Advances in membrane biology increasingly demonstrate the crucial role of the cellular plasma membrane in fundamental physiological processes, such as cell adhesion and migration, signalling and trafficking, cellular metabolism and homeostasis. In fact, the plasma membrane, which harbors ~30% of the mammalian proteome, defines the identity and behavior of the cell. The recent proliferation of high-resolution molecular microscopy and spectroscopy technologies enables us to decipher the complex nature of the plasma membrane, in particular, the functional roles of membrane lipid composition, lipid–protein interactions and membrane organization. Yet, several questions remain unanswered or are incompletely understood in this field. We still need generalizable insights into questions, such as how are biological functions carried out by the plasma membrane? How are extracellular signals perceived and processed by them, and how are these signals transduced to intracellular components? Reciprocally, how do cells communicate with the surroundings via their membranes? Given the heterogeneity, in terms of their composition defined by thousands of lipids and proteins, various mechanical features emanating from individual molecules, or the collective behavior of these molecules and their dynamics and significance, are emerging.
For this Special Issue, authors are invited to present any new research development, reviews providing or building on past studies or evidence-based new hypotheses on the functional role of cellular membranes. Topics demonstrating the mechanisms defining the first points of interactions and their evolution during the course of the time of interactions resulting in favorable outcomes are especially encouraged. Furthermore, we are interested in the new biological tools and techniques that address membrane-relevant questions, for example, probing of membrane tension or hydration, redistribution of charges and their functional roles. Considering the growing applications of cell-membrane-based nanoparticles, we also welcome studies showing their biological applications.
We are excited about this Issue and hope we can put together an ensemble of exciting articles that will serve as further motivation for future research.
We are eagerly looking forward to your valuable contributions.
Dr. Narain Karedla
Dr. Dilip Shrestha
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Membranes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- membrane heterogeneity
- molecular co-operativity
- charges
- signal transduction
- cellular communication
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