The Biophysics of Cell Membranes

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-vii

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2. Preparation and Physical Properties of Asymmetric Model Membrane Vesicles

   • Johnna R. St. Clair, Qing Wang, Guangtao Li, Erwin London

   Pages 1-27

3. Spontaneous Lipid Flip-Flop in Membranes: A Still Unsettled Picture from Experiments and Simulations

   • Maria Maddalena Sperotto, Alberta Ferrarini

   Pages 29-60

4. Membrane Lipid-Protein Interactions

   • Michael F. Brown, Udeep Chawla, Suchithranga M. D. C. Perera

   Pages 61-84

5. Principles of Mechanosensing at the Membrane Interface

   • Navid Bavi, Yury A. Nikolaev, Omid Bavi, Pietro Ridone, Adam D. Martinac, Yoshitaka Nakayama et al.

   Pages 85-119

6. Lipid Domains and Membrane (Re)Shaping: From Biophysics to Biology

   • Catherine Léonard, David Alsteens, Andra C. Dumitru, Marie-Paule Mingeot-Leclercq, Donatienne Tyteca

   Pages 121-175

7. Minimal Cellular Models for Origins-of-Life Studies and Biotechnology

   • Pasquale Stano

   Pages 177-219

This volume focuses on the modulation of biological membranes by specific biophysical properties. The readers are introduced to emerging biophysical approaches that mimick specific states (like membrane lipid asymmetry, membrane curvature, lipid flip-flop, lipid phase separation) that are relevant to the functioning of biological membranes. The first chapter describes innovative methods to mimic the prevailing asymmetry in biological membranes by forming asymmetrical membranes made of monolayers with different compositions. One of the chapters illustrates how physical parameters, like curvature and elasticity, can affect and modulate the interactions between lipids and proteins. This volume also describes the sensitivity of certain ion channels to mechanical forces and it presents an analysis of how cell shape is determined by both the cytoskeleton and the lipid domains in the membrane. The last chapter provides evidence that liposomes can be used as a minimal cellular model to reconstitute processes related to the origin of life.
 
Each topic covered in this volume is presented by leading experts in the field who are able to present clear, authoritative and up-to-date reviews. The novelty of the methods proposed and their potential for a deeper molecular description of membrane functioning are particularly relevant experts in the areas of biochemistry, biophysics and cell biology, while also presenting clear and thorough introductions, making the material suitable for students in these fields as well.

• Lipid-protein interaction
• Lipid flip-flop
• Lipid bilayer asymmetry
• Mechanosensitive receptor
• Lipid domain

• Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada

  Richard M. Epand

• Sciences Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium

  Jean-Marie Ruysschaert

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