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Author

Ken Jacobson

Other affiliations: University of Connecticut, Boston University, Emory University  ...read more
Bio: Ken Jacobson is an academic researcher from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The author has contributed to research in topics: Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching & Membrane protein. The author has an hindex of 65, co-authored 151 publications receiving 19017 citations. Previous affiliations of Ken Jacobson include University of Connecticut & Boston University.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Measurements of trajectories of individual proteins or lipids in the plasma membrane of cells show a variety of types of motion, including directed motion, confined motion, and anomalous diffusion, which requires a revision of existing views of membrane structure and dynamics.
Abstract: Measurements of trajectories of individual proteins or lipids in the plasma membrane of cells show a variety of types of motion. Brownian motion is observed, but many of the particles undergo non-Brownian motion, including directed motion, confined motion, and anomalous diffusion. The variety of motion leads to significant effects on the kinetics of reactions among membrane-bound species and requires a revision of existing views of membrane structure and dynamics.

1,818 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The notion that in biomembranes selected lipids could laterally aggregate to form more ordered, detergent-resistant lipid rafts into which glycosphingolipid- and cholesterol-rich lipid domains partition is strongly supported by this study.

1,357 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
07 Jun 2002-Science
TL;DR: This work proposes that the molecular address for proteins targeted to lipid domains is a lipid shell, which is high in cholesterol and sphingolipids, have a light buoyant density, and function in both endocytosis and cell signaling.
Abstract: The surface membrane of cells is studded with morphologically distinct regions, or domains, like microvilli, cell-cell junctions, and coated pits. Each of these domains is specialized for a particular function, such as nutrient absorption, cell-cell communication, and endocytosis. Lipid domains, which include caveolae and rafts, are one of the least understood membrane domains. These domains are high in cholesterol and sphingolipids, have a light buoyant density, and function in both endocytosis and cell signaling. A major mystery, however, is how resident molecules are targeted to lipid domains. Here, we propose that the molecular address for proteins targeted to lipid domains is a lipid shell.

1,139 citations

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TL;DR: The different kinases in the MAPK family all seem able to regulate cell migration but by distinct mechanisms, and studies of p38 show that this MAPK modulates migration by phosphorylating MAPK-activated protein kinase 2/3 (MAPKAP2/3), which appears to be important for directionality of migration.
Abstract: Recent studies have demonstrated that mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), including Jun N-terminus kinase (JNK), p38 and Erk, play crucial roles in cell migration. JNK, for example, regulates cell migration by phosphorylating paxillin, DCX, Jun and microtubule-associated proteins. Studies of p38 show that this MAPK modulates migration by phosphorylating MAPK-activated protein kinase 2/3 (MAPKAP 2/3), which appears to be important for directionality of migration. Erk governs cell movement by phosphorylating myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), calpain or FAK. Thus, the different kinases in the MAPK family all seem able to regulate cell migration but by distinct mechanisms.

1,067 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is proposed that various transmembrane proteins anchored to the actin-based membrane skeleton meshwork act as rows of pickets that temporarily confine phospholipids.
Abstract: The diffusion rate of lipids in the cell membrane is reduced by a factor of 5-100 from that in artificial bilayers. This slowing mechanism has puzzled cell biologists for the last 25 yr. Here we address this issue by studying the movement of unsaturated phospholipids in rat kidney fibroblasts at the single molecule level at the temporal resolution of 25 micros. The cell membrane was found to be compartmentalized: phospholipids are confined within 230-nm-diameter (phi) compartments for 11 ms on average before hopping to adjacent compartments. These 230-nm compartments exist within greater 750-nm-phi compartments where these phospholipids are confined for 0.33 s on average. The diffusion rate within 230-nm compartments is 5.4 microm2/s, which is nearly as fast as that in large unilamellar vesicles, indicating that the diffusion in the cell membrane is reduced not because diffusion per se is slow, but because the cell membrane is compartmentalized with regard to lateral diffusion of phospholipids. Such compartmentalization depends on the actin-based membrane skeleton, but not on the extracellular matrix, extracellular domains of membrane proteins, or cholesterol-enriched rafts. We propose that various transmembrane proteins anchored to the actin-based membrane skeleton meshwork act as rows of pickets that temporarily confine phospholipids.

910 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Competition with both transforming and non-transforming plasmids indicates that each cell is capable of taking up many DNA molecules, and that the establishment of a transformation event is neither helped nor hindered significantly by the presence of multiple plasmid molecules.

11,144 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
02 Aug 1990-Nature
TL;DR: Three families of cell-surface molecules regulate the migration of lymphocytes and the interactions of activated cells during immune responses.
Abstract: The adhesive interactions of cells with other cells and with the extracellular matrix are crucial to all developmental processes, but have a central role in the functions of the immune system throughout life Three families of cell-surface molecules regulate the migration of lymphocytes and the interactions of activated cells during immune responses

6,595 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
18 Nov 2005-Science
TL;DR: An understanding of how tissue cells—including fibroblasts, myocytes, neurons, and other cell types—sense matrix stiffness is just emerging with quantitative studies of cells adhering to gels with which elasticity can be tuned to approximate that of tissues.
Abstract: Normal tissue cells are generally not viable when suspended in a fluid and are therefore said to be anchorage dependent. Such cells must adhere to a solid, but a solid can be as rigid as glass or softer than a baby's skin. The behavior of some cells on soft materials is characteristic of important phenotypes; for example, cell growth on soft agar gels is used to identify cancer cells. However, an understanding of how tissue cells-including fibroblasts, myocytes, neurons, and other cell types-sense matrix stiffness is just emerging with quantitative studies of cells adhering to gels (or to other cells) with which elasticity can be tuned to approximate that of tissues. Key roles in molecular pathways are played by adhesion complexes and the actinmyosin cytoskeleton, whose contractile forces are transmitted through transcellular structures. The feedback of local matrix stiffness on cell state likely has important implications for development, differentiation, disease, and regeneration.

5,889 citations

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TL;DR: How do cells apply anabolic and catabolic enzymes, translocases and transporters, plus the intrinsic physical phase behaviour of lipids and their interactions with membrane proteins, to create the unique compositions and multiple functions of their individual membranes?
Abstract: Throughout the biological world, a 30 A hydrophobic film typically delimits the environments that serve as the margin between life and death for individual cells. Biochemical and biophysical findings have provided a detailed model of the composition and structure of membranes, which includes levels of dynamic organization both across the lipid bilayer (lipid asymmetry) and in the lateral dimension (lipid domains) of membranes. How do cells apply anabolic and catabolic enzymes, translocases and transporters, plus the intrinsic physical phase behaviour of lipids and their interactions with membrane proteins, to create the unique compositions and multiple functionalities of their individual membranes?

5,720 citations