Membrane Structure

and Function
 Take Home/ Major Points

● Physical/Energy reasons for bilayer.

● Components of membrane
● Membrane proteins
○ Structure
○ Studying
● Fluidity
● Cortex
● Glycosylation
Trilaminar
appearance of
the plasma
membrane

EM Photo; RBC
treated with
osmium
Phospholipid
Bilayers
Figure 11-7 Essential Cell Biology (© Garland Science 2010)
 REMEMBER…Aqueous solution on both sides!

Figure 11-11b Essential Cell Biology (© Garland Science 2010)

Figure 11-12 Essential Cell Biology (© Garland Science 2010)
 The Lipid Bilayer Is Asymmetrical

Sphingomyelin

phosphatidylcholine

phosphatidylserine

phosphatidylethanol-amine

phosphatidylinositol

cholesterol

glycolipid
Figure 11-17 Essential Cell Biology (© Garland Science 2010)
 AND…Lipid Asymmetry Is Preserved
During Membrane Transport
 Lipid Bilayers have Fluidity

Phospholipids are in constant lateral

motion but it is rare for them to flip over
to the other leaflet. There are specific
proteins that maintain asymmetry, and
consequences for failure to maintain
asymmetry.
 The Fluidity of a Lipid Bilayer Depends on
Its Composition

Figure 11-16 Essential Cell Biology (© Garland Science 2010)

Carbon chain length and
degree of saturation of the
hydrocarbon tails also
impacts fluidity
 MEMBRANE PROTEINS

● Membrane Proteins Associate with the Lipid Bilayer in Various Ways

AND Have a Variety of Functions

● A Polypeptide Chain Usually Crosses the Bilayer as an α Helix
● The Complete Structure Is Known for Relatively Few Membrane

Proteins
● Membrane Proteins Can Be Solubilized in Detergents and Purified
● Proteins Have Mobility in the Fluid Bilayer
● The Plasma Membrane Is Reinforced by the Cell Cortex
● The Cell Surface Is Coated with Carbohydrate
Membrane Proteins Associate with the Lipid Bilayer in Various Ways
AND Have A Variety of Functions
A Polypeptide Chain Usually Crosses the Bilayer as an α Helix
 The Complete Structure Is Known for
Relatively Few Membrane Proteins
 This is the structure of an integral membrane protein
determined by X-ray crystallography

The hydrophobicity of transmembrane domains makes them difficult to

isolate in an intact form from the lipid bilayer

 ●Membrane Proteins
Can Be Solubilized in
Detergents and Purified

Figure 11-26 Essential Cell Biology (© Garland Science 2010)

 After solubilization,
protein function
can be
reconstituted in an
artifical bilayer

Figure 11-38 Essential Cell Biology (© Garland Science 2010)

Proteins Have Mobility in the
Fluid Bilayer

What evidence supports this

hypothesis?
Figure 11-32 Essential Cell Biology (©
Garland Science 2010)
 time-dependent
recovery of label in the
bleached area

Figure 11-36 Essential Cell Biology (© Garland Science 2010)

However, lateral mobility of proteins can
also be restricted
The Plasma Membrane
Is Reinforced by the
Cell Cortex
 Gut epithelial cells

Figure 11-34 Essential Cell Biology (© Garland Science 2010)

 The Cell Surface Is Coated with
Carbohydrate

Figure 11-35 Essential Cell Biology (© Garland Science 2010)

Figure 11-39 Essential Cell Biology (© Garland Science 2010)