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Open AccessJournal ArticleDOI

Dynamics in the plasma membrane: how to combine fluidity and order

TLDR
The basic concepts of Brownian diffusion and lipid domain formation in model membranes are summarized and the development of ideas and tools in this field are tracked, outlining key results obtained on the dynamic processes at work in membrane structure and assembly.
Abstract
Cell membranes are fascinating supramolecular aggregates that not only form a barrier between compartments but also harbor many chemical reactions essential to the existence and functioning of a cell. Here, it is proposed to review the molecular dynamics and mosaic organization of the plasma membrane, which are thought to have important functional implications. We will first summarize the basic concepts of Brownian diffusion and lipid domain formation in model membranes and then track the development of ideas and tools in this field, outlining key results obtained on the dynamic processes at work in membrane structure and assembly. We will focus in particular on findings made using fluorescent labeling and imaging procedures to record these dynamic processes. We will also discuss a few examples showing the impact of lateral diffusion on cell signal transduction, and outline some future methodological challenges which must be met before we can answer some of the questions arising in this field of research.

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Journal ArticleDOI

Lipid rafts: at a crossroad between cell biology and physics.

TL;DR: The concept of lipid rafts as it has emerged from the study of synthetic membranes with the reality of lateral heterogeneity in biological membranes is compared.
Journal ArticleDOI

Coordination of Rho GTPase activities during cell protrusion

TL;DR: GTPase coordination in mouse embryonic fibroblasts is examined both through simultaneous visualization of two GTPase biosensors and using a ‘computational multiplexing’ approach capable of defining the relationships between multiple protein activities visualized in separate experiments, finding that RhoA is activated at the cell edge synchronous with edge advancement, whereas Cdc42 and Rac1 are activated 2 μm behind the edge with a delay of 40 s.
Journal ArticleDOI

Dynamic multiple-target tracing to probe spatiotemporal cartography of cell membranes.

TL;DR: An analytical single-particle tracking method and tool, multiple-target tracing (MTT), that takes advantage of the high spatial resolution provided by single-fluorophore sensitivity to generate dynamic maps at high densities of tracked particles, thereby providing global representation of molecular dynamics in cell membranes.
Journal ArticleDOI

Organization and Ca2+ Regulation of Adenylyl Cyclases in cAMP Microdomains

TL;DR: The regulation of many of the ACs by the ubiquitous second messenger Ca(2+) provides an overarching mechanism for integrating the activities of these two major signaling systems, and cAMP will exhibit distinct kinetics in discrete cellular domains.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI

Near-Field Fluorescence Microscopy Based on Two-Photon Excitation with Metal Tips

TL;DR: In this article, a near-field fluorescence imaging using femtosecond laser pulses of proper polarization is presented. But the technique is not suitable for near field imaging, and the spatial resolution is limited to 20 nm.
Journal ArticleDOI

Fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy in living cells.

TL;DR: In this paper, the basic principles of fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy (FCCS) are reviewed and applied in the context of energy transfer and multicolor imaging techniques.
Journal ArticleDOI

T cell receptor ligation induces the formation of dynamically regulated signaling assemblies

TL;DR: It is indicated that these complexes can form within seconds of TCR engagement, in the absence of either lipid raft aggregation or the formation of a central TCR-rich cluster.
Journal Article

Near-field fluorescence microscopy based on two-photon excitation with metal tips

TL;DR: In this article, a near-field fluorescence imaging using femtosecond laser pulses of proper polarization is presented. But the technique is not suitable for near field imaging, and the spatial resolution is limited to 20 nm.
Journal ArticleDOI

Properties of lipid microdomains in a muscle cell membrane visualized by single molecule microscopy.

TL;DR: Both the liquid‐ordered phase characteristics and the sizes of domains match properties of membrane fractions described as detergent‐resistant membranes (DRMs), strongly suggesting that the domains seen are the in vivo correlate of DRMs and thus may be identified as lipid rafts.
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