Fundamental Roles of Lipids on Membrane Mechanics, Fluidity and Fusion
A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Biological Membrane Functions".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 3872
Special Issue Editor
Interests: membranes; membrane biophysics; membrane structure; membrane fusion; fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM); fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP); membrane mechanics; cellular biophysics; giant unilamellar vesicles; lipid vesicles
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cellular membranes provide the selectively permeable barrier that controls the intake of molecules into cells and forms separate multiple compartments, creating organelles and the cell itself. Both transmembrane uptake and cell compartmentalization depend on the active function of membrane proteins. Less understood, nevertheless, is the role of membrane lipids. Lipids make up the large majority of membrane molecules and confer the basic fundamental physical properties of membranes. Yet, little is known about their roles on active processes that are intrinsically dependent on membrane mechanics, such as membrane fusion. Fusion is the processes by which two initially separated membranes contact and merge, mixing both their membranes and the otherwise separated internal compartments. Like other processes in cells, including division, fission and endocytosis, fusion requires the membrane to undergo large morphological transformations without disruption, conditions that are only favorable in a specific range of fluidity.
This Special Issue aims to cover the latest developments in the fundamental physical aspects of membranes that are critical for cell activity, using cells and membrane models. These aspects are mainly related, but not limited, to membrane mechanics, fluidity and fusion, and the techniques used to study them.
Topics include but not limited to:
- Development and characterization of membrane models (LUVs, GUVs, SLBs and membrane-coated beads);
- Intra and extracellular vesicles;
- Membrane imaging and dynamics, diffusion coefficient, phase-separation, membrane binding;
- Advanced optical imaging of membranes (FRAP, FRET, FLIM, FCS, super-resolution microscopy);
- Membrane fusion assays;
- Membrane micromanipulation techniques (optical and magnetic tweezers, microfluidics, atomic force microscopy and electric fields);
- Membrane structure and morphology (bending rigidity, tension, viscosity, fluidity, line and edge tension and spontaneous curvature);
- Physical-chemical and thermodynamics characterization (static and dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, isothermal titration calorimetry and differential scanning calorimetry);
- Living cell imaging.
Dr. Rafael Lira
Guest Editor
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