Related papers: Lipid Ion Channels
Electrical signals in excitable cells involve spatially localized ionic fluxes through ion channels and pumps on cellular lipid membranes. Common approaches to understand how these localized fluxes spread assume that the membrane and the…
We review recent computer simulation studies of undulating lipid bilayers. Theoretical interpretations of such fluctuating membranes are most commonly based on generalized Helfrich-type elastic models, with additional contributions of local…
The activation kinetics of the ion channels formed by colicin Ia incorporated into a planar bilayer lipid membrane (BLM) was investigated by the voltage clamp technique using different step voltage stimuli. The temporal behaviour of ion…
The movement of ionic solutions is an essential part of biology and technology. Fluidics, from nano- to micro- to microfluidics, is a burgeoning area of technology which is all about the movement of ionic solutions, on various scales. Many…
We discuss various models of ion transport through cell membrane channels. Recent experimental data shows that sizes of ion channels are compared to those of ions and that only few ions may be simultaneously in any single channel.…
The lateral diffusion of lipids within membrane is of paramount importance, serving as a central mechanism in numerous physiological processes including cell signaling, membrane trafficking, protein activity regulation, and energy…
Ions in water are the liquid of life. Life occurs almost entirely in 'salt water'. Water itself (without ions) is lethal to animal cells and damaging for most proteins. Water must contain the right ions in the right amounts if it is to…
Understanding interactions between membranes requires measurements on well-controlled systems close to natural conditions, in which fluctuations play an important role. We have determined, by grazing incidence X-ray scattering, the…
We use coarse grained molecular dynamics simulations to investigate diffusion properties of sheared lipid membranes with embedded transmembrane proteins. In membranes without proteins, we find normal in-plane diffusion of lipids in all flow…
Ion channels play a key role in regulating cell behavior and in electrical signaling. In these settings, polar and charged functional groups -- as well as protein response -- compensate for dehydration in an ion-dependent way, giving rise…
Relatively short peptides, such as toxins and antimicrobial-peptides, are known to insert themselves into cell membranes. On the basis of simple bead-spring models for the membrane lipids, the peptide, and water, detailed processes of the…
The study of interactions between biomimetic membranes and micron-sized particles is crucial for understanding various biological processes. Here, we control microparticle spontaneous engulfment by giant lipid vesicles by tuning particle…
The paper shows how the diffusive movement of ions through a channel protein can be described as a chemical reaction over an arbitrary shaped potential barrier. The result is simple and intuitive but without approximation beyond the…
Membranes are present in all cells and tissues. Mathematical models of cells and tissues need a compact mathematical description of membranes with a resolution of about 1 nm. Membranes isolate cells because ions have difficulty penetrating…
Ion channels are protein structures that facilitate the selective passage of ions across the membrane cells of living organisms. They are known for their high conductance and high selectivity. The precise mechanism between these two…
Random lateral translocation of lipids and proteins is a universal process on membrane surfaces. Local aggregation or organization of lipids and proteins can be induced when this lateral random diffusion is mediated by the electrostatic…
Contrary to existing theoretical models, experimental evidence points out that electroporation (membrane defect formation under external electric fields) starts to occur within the range of transmembrane voltages that cells may routinely…
A theory of a lateral stress relaxation in a fluid bilayer membrane under a step-like pressure pulse is proposed. It is shown theoretically that transfer of lipid molecules into a strained region may lead to a substantial decrease of the…
For many biotechnological applications it would be useful to better understand the effects produced by electric fields on lipid membranes. This review discusses several aspects of the electrostatic properties of a planar lipid membrane with…
Molecular transport maintains cellular structures and functions. For example, lipid and protein diffusion sculpts the dynamic shapes and structures on the cell membrane that perform essential cellular functions, such as cell signaling.…