Membrane Dynamics and Protein-Lipid Interactions

Abstract

All biological structures are dynamic, and the rate and extent of motion are important in considering biological function. This is true for enzymes, for polynucleotides, and most certainly for membranes. The fluid mosaic model (Chapter 1) has helped focus attention on the mobility of membrane components by conceptualizing the membrane as a sea of lipid in which embedded globular proteins are freely floating. Over the past two decades an enormous literature has developed the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the dynamics of membrane components. Much of this utilizes the sophisticated applications of optical and magnetic resonance spectroscopies. From all this has emerged a useful physical picture of the membrane which encompasses the ways in which membrane proteins and lipids move and how they interact with each other. In addition, techniques have been developed to address specifically questions pertinent to membrane dynamics. There are considerable uncertainties remaining, but they point to areas which will be the focus of future research efforts.