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Journal of Chemical Physics / Volume 136 / Issue 1 / ARTICLES / Biological Molecules, Biopolymers, and Biological Systems

J. Chem. Phys. 136, 015103 (2012); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3672704 (11 pages)

Structure and dynamics of nano-sized raft-like domains on the plasma membrane

Fernando E. Herrera1,2 and Sergio Pantano1

1Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Calle Mataojo 2020, CP 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
2Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Departamento de Física, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, C.C. 242, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. S3000ZAA, Santa Fe, Argentina

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(Received 4 July 2011; accepted 6 December 2011; published online 5 January 2012)

Cell membranes are constitutively composed of thousands of different lipidic species, whose specific organization leads to functional heterogeneities. In particular, sphingolipids, cholesterol and some proteins associate among them to form stable nanoscale domains involved in recognition, signaling, membrane trafficking, etc. Atomic-detail information in the nanometer/second scale is still elusive to experimental techniques. In this context, molecular simulations on membrane systems have provided useful insights contributing to bridge this gap. Here we present the results of a series of simulations of biomembranes representing non-raft and raft-like nano-sized domains in order to analyze the particular structural and dynamical properties of these domains. Our results indicate that the smallest (5 nm) raft domains are able to preserve their distinctive structural and dynamical features, such as an increased thickness, higher ordering, lower lateral diffusion, and specific lipid-ion interactions. The insertion of a transmembrane protein helix into non-raft, extended raft-like, and raft-like nanodomain environments result in markedly different protein orientations, highlighting the interplay between the lipid-lipid and lipid-protein interactions.

© 2012 American Institute of Physics

Article Outline

  1. INTRODUCTION
  2. METHODS
    1. Simulated systems
      1. System I: Non-raft plasma membrane (I, Ia, and Ib)
        1. System Ia: Extracellular leaflet.
        2. System Ib: Intracellular leaflet.
        3. System I: Non-raft bilayer.
      2. System II: Extended raft-like plasma membrane (IIa, IIb, and IIc)
        1. System IIa.
        2. Systems IIb and IIc.
        3. Extended raft-like bilayer (Systems II and II S ).
      3. System III: Nano-sized raft-like on the plasma membrane (III and III S )
        1. Raft-like nanodomain (Systems III and III S ).
        2. Ionic asymmetry.
        3. Simulation details.
  3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
    1. Homogeneous lipids’ mixtures
      1. System I: Non-raft plasma membrane
        1. Area per lipid.
        2. Thickness.
        3. Density profiles.
      2. Systems II and II S : Raft-like plasma membranes
        1. Area per lipid.
        2. Thickness.
        3. Density profiles.
    2. Inhomogeneous lipids’ mixture
      1. System III: Raft-like nanodomain
        1. Lipid organization.
        2. Area per lipid.
        3. Thickness.
        4. Lateral diffusion.
        5. Long range effects.
    3. Protein-lipid interactions
  4. CONCLUSIONS

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KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

biomembranes, cellular biophysics, lipid bilayers, proteins

PACS

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3672704

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0021-9606 (print)  
1089-7690 (online)

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Institute of Physics

For access to fully linked references, you need to log in.
    F. E. Herrera and S. Pantano, J. Chem. Phys. 130, 195105 (2009)JCPSA6000130000019195105000001.

    H. J. C. Berendsen, J. P. M. Postma, W. F. van Gunsterren, A. DiNola, and J. R. Haak, J. Chem. Phys. 81, 3684 (1984)JCPSA6000081000008003684000001.


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