Membrane Proteins Diffuse as Dynamic Complexes with Lipids

摘要

Biological membranes govern a large number of cellular functions.nWhile the structural aspects of membranes are still being explored innterms of the lipid raft model,n1,2nthe understanding of membranendynamicsn3nis more limited. One of the relevant dynamical membranenprocesses is lateral diffusion of lipids and proteins, involved in a varietynof phenomena including domain formation, protein sorting, andnformation of membrane protein complexes. Recent studies havenhighlighted the importance of collective phenomena in lateral diffusion,nas lipids have been found to undergo diffusion in a concerted fashionnas loosely defined transient clusters.n4 6nMeanwhile, the diffusion ofnmembrane proteins has remained one of the greatest unclear issues innmembrane dynamics.