The fluid-mosaic model of membrane structure formulated by Singer and Nicolson in the early 1970s has proven to be a durable concept in terms of the principles governing the organization of the constituent lipids and proteins. During the past 30 or so years a great deal of information has accumulated on the composition of various cell membranes and how this is related to the dif ferent functions that membranes perform. Nevertheless, the task of explaining particular functions at the molecular level has been hampered by lack of struc tural detail at the atomic level. The reason for this is primarily the difficulty of crystallizing membrane proteins which require strategies that differ from those used to crystallize soluble proteins. The unique exception is bacteriorhodopsin of the purple membrane of Halobacterium halobium which is interpolated into a membrane that is neither fluid nor in a mosaic configuration. To date only 50 or so membrane proteins have been characterised to atomic resolution by diffraction methods, in contrast to the vast data accumulated on soluble proteins. Another factor that has been difficult to explain is the reason why the lipid compliment of membranes is often extremely complex. Many hundreds of different molecular species of lipid can be identified in some membranes. Remarkably, the particular composition of each membrane appears to be main tained within relatively narrow limits and its identity distinguished from other morphologically-distinct membranes.
Author(s): Janet M. Oliver, Janet R. Pfeiffer, Zurab Surviladze, Stanly L. Steinberg (auth.), Peter J. Quinn (eds.)
Series: Subcellular Biochemistry 37
Edition: 1
Publisher: Springer US
Year: 2004
Language: English
Pages: 499
Tags: Biochemistry, general; Oncology
Front Matter....Pages i-xvi
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Membrane Receptor Mapping: The Membrane Topography of FcεRI Signaling....Pages 3-34
Rafts, Little Caves and Large Potholes: How Lipid Structure Interacts with Membrane Proteins to Create Functionally Diverse Membrane Environments....Pages 35-118
Front Matter....Pages 119-119
Lipid Raft Proteins and Their Identification in T Lymphocytes....Pages 121-152
Lipid Composition of Membrane Domains....Pages 153-163
Front Matter....Pages 165-165
Sphingomyelin and Cholesterol: From Membrane Biophysics and Rafts to Potential Medical Applications....Pages 167-215
Membrane Targeting of Lipid Modified Signal Transduction Proteins....Pages 217-232
Role of the Membrane Skeleton in Creation of Microdomains....Pages 233-245
Membrane/Cytoskeleton Communication....Pages 247-282
Front Matter....Pages 283-283
GPI-anchored Protein Cleavage in the Regulation of Transmembrane Signals....Pages 285-315
Membrane Lipid Homeostasis....Pages 317-357
Phospholipid Metabolism in Lung Surfactant....Pages 359-388
Front Matter....Pages 389-389
Membrane Targeting in Secretion....Pages 391-421
Front Matter....Pages 423-423
Oxidative Stress, Caveolae and Caveolin-1....Pages 425-441
The Role of Lipid Microdomains in Virus Biology....Pages 443-491
Back Matter....Pages 493-499