Topic 1.

MEMBRANE STRUCTURE
Topic Outline AUDIO

 Cell Membranes

 Phospholipid Bilayers

 Membrane Models

 Membrane Proteins

 Cholesterol

 Membrane Diagram

 Cell Walls

The structure of biological membranes makes them fluid and dynamic

Cell Membranes

Membranes enclose the contents of a cell, separating intracellular components

from the outside environment
• This allows for the control of the internal cellular conditions (homeostasis)

Cell membranes have two key qualities:

• Semi-permeability – some materials cannot cross without assistance
• Selectivity – cells can regulate the passage of certain materials

Cell membranes are composed primarily of phospholipids and proteins

Phospholipid Bilayer

Structure of Phospholipids: Hydrophilic head

Attracted to H2O
• Consist of a polar head (glycerol + phosphate)
Hydrophobic tail
• Consist of two non-polar tails (fatty acids)
Repelled by H2O
• Head is hydrophilic and tail is hydrophobic
Interstitial Fluid (Extracellular)
Arrangement in Membranes:
• Phospholipids form a spontaneous bilayer
• Tails face inwards, heads face outwards
Cytosolic Fluid (Intracellular)

Phospholipids form bilayers in water due to the amphipathic properties of phospholipid molecules
Phospholipid Bilayer

Properties of the Bilayer: Saturated (viscous)

• The bilayer is held together by weak hydrophobic

associations between the fatty acid tails
• The associations can be broken and reformed,
allowing for membrane fluidity and flexibility Unsaturated (fluid)
• The structure of the fatty acid tails affects fluidity:
➪ Saturated fatty acids increase viscosity
➪ Unsaturated tails (with kinks) increase fluidity
Davson-Danielli Model

When viewed via an electron microscope, a cell membrane exhibits a trilaminar

(three layer) appearance – with two dark outer layers and a light inner layer

Davson & Danielli proposed a model whereby two layers of proteins (dark) were
flanking a central phospholipid bilayer (light) – the ‘lipoprotein sandwich’ model

TWO adjacent
cell membranes

Analysis of evidence from electron microscopy that lead to the proposal of the Davson-Danielli model
Falsification of Davson-Danielli Model

Based on available evidence, the Davson-Danielli model has now been rejected:

• Membranes don’t have a constant lipid:protein ratio (precludes sandwich model)

• Membrane proteins vary in size and solubility in water (couldn’t form outer layer)

• Proteins are shown to be mobile within the membrane and not fixed in place
when tagged with fluorescent antibodies (hence couldn’t form a static outer layer)

• Freeze fracturing of the membrane reveals a rough, irregular internal surface

suggestive of transmembrane proteins (proteins not localised to the outer layer)

Analysis of the falsification of the Davson-Danielli model that lead to the Singer-Nicolson model
Singer-Nicolson Model

The falsification of the Davson-Danielli model led to the proposal of a new model

The Singer-Nicolson model describes the proteins as being embedded within the
phospholipid bilayer (transmembrane) instead of existing as distinct outer layers

Davson-Danielli Singer-Nicolson
Model (1935): Model (1972):
REJECTED ACCEPTED

✗ ✓

Analysis of the falsification of the Davson-Danielli model that lead to the Singer-Nicolson model
Membrane Proteins

Membrane proteins serve a variety of key functions:

• Junctions (e.g. tight junctions)
• Enzymes (localises activity)
• Transport (passive / active)
• Recognition (e.g. glycoproteins)
• Anchorage / attachment sites
• Transduction (peptide hormones)
Mnemonic: JET RAT

Membrane proteins are diverse in terms of structure, position in the membrane and function
Types of Membrane Proteins

Membrane proteins can be categorised as either integral or peripheral

Integral Proteins: Integral

• Permanently attached to the plasma membrane
• Requires detergents to remove from the bilayer

Peripheral Proteins:
• Temporarily associated to membrane periphery
• Can be removed by salt or pH changes Peripheral

Membrane proteins are diverse in terms of structure, position in the membrane and function
Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a component of animal cell membranes, where it functions to

maintain the integrity and mechanical stability of the membrane
• It is absent in plant cell membranes, which are supported by a rigid cell wall

Cholesterol is an amphipathic molecule H3C CH3

H 3C CH3
(has both polar and non-polar regions)
H 3C
• Hydroxyl group is hydrophilic ( )
• Rest of molecule is hydrophobic ( ) HO

Cholesterol is a component of animal cell membranes

Role of Cholesterol

Cholesterol interacts with the fatty acid tails to moderate membrane properties:
• It immobilises the outer surface of the membrane, reducing the fluidity
• It makes the membrane less permeable to small, water soluble molecules
• It separates the fatty acid tails to prevent crystallisation at low temperatures
• It helps to secure peripheral proteins by forming high density lipid rafts

Cholesterol in mammalian membranes reduces membrane fluidity and permeability to some solutes
Fluid-Mosaic Model

integral protein glycoprotein

cholesterol

phosphate

peripheral protein fatty acids

(×2)
phospholipid

Drawing of the fluid-mosaic model

Cell Walls

A cell wall is an outer layer surrounding some types of cells

that provides additional structural support and protection
• They are important controlling in hydrostatic pressure

Cell walls may be composed of cellulose (plant cells),

peptidoglycan (bacterial cells) or chitin (fungal cells)

Plant and algal cells may be connected by small channels

(called plasmodesmata) that extend between cell walls Stained cell walls
Topic Review

Can you do the following?

• State the key properties of cell membranes

• Describe the structure of the bilayer
• Describe the evidence for and against the
Davson-Danielli model of membrane structure
• Outline the function of membrane proteins
• Describe the role of cholesterol in membranes
• Draw the fluid-mosaic model (Singer-Nicolson)