Lipid bilayers cell membranes

A conceptualized cross section through a portion of the cell wall (rectangles), periplasmic space, and cell membrane (lipid bilayer with polar head groups in contact with cytoplasm and external medium, and hydrophobic hydrocarbon chains) of an aquatic microbe. Reactive functional groups (-SH, -COOH, -OH, -NH2) present on the wall consitutents and extracellular enzymes (depicted as shaded objects) attached by various means promote and catalyze chemical reactions extracellularly. 

Cell membrane Lipid bilayer, containing surface proteins (peripheral proteins), proteins totally embedded in the membrane (intregal proteins), and glycoproteins partially embedded in the membrane Maintains ionic and chemical concentration gradients, cell-specific markers, intercellular communication, regulates cell growth and proliferation... 

In conclusion, this novel method of lipid vesicle immobilization on substrate-supported lipid bilayers in a spatially confined manner may serve as a platform for research on proteins incorporated in the lipid bilayers comprising the vesicles. Owing to their structural similarities to the cell membrane, lipid bilayers and substrate-immobilized vesicles provide interesting platforms for studies of incorporated proteins, an area that will see progressive growth in the near future. 

Concerning the mechanism of action of catechins, studies carried out on S. aureus and E. coli cells by Ikigai et al. [72] reported that their bactericidal effect is primarily involved in the damage of bacterial membranes catechins induce a rapid leakage of small molecules entrapped in the intraliposomal space, determining the aggregation of the liposomes. These actions cause damage in the membrane lipid bilayer and cell death (Table 1). 

Before the first indication of the existence of cannabinoid receptors, the prevailing theory on the mechanism of cannabinoid activity was that cannabinoids exert their effects by nonspecific interactions with cell membrane lipids (Makriyannis, 1990). Such interactions can increase the membrane fluidity, perturb the lipid bilayer and concomitantly alter the function of membrane-associated proteins (Loh, 1980). A plethora of experimental evidence suggests that cannabinoids interact with membrane lipids and modify the properties of membranes. However, the relevance of these phenomena to biological activities is still only, at best, correlative. An important conundrum associated with the membrane theories of cannabinoid activity is uncertainty over whether cannabinoids can achieve in vivo membrane concentrations comparable to the relatively high concentrations used in in vitro biophysical studies (Makriyannis, 1995). It may be possible that local high concentrations are attainable under certain physiological circumstances, and, if so, some of the cannabinoid activities may indeed be mediated through membrane perturbation. 

Figure 3 A hydrophobic permeant must negotiate through a complex series of diffu-sional and thermodynamic barriers as it penetrates into a cell. The lipid and protein compositions and charge distribution of the inner and outer leaflets of the membrane lipid bilayer can play limiting roles, particularly at the tight junction. Depending upon the permeant s characteristics, it may remain within the plasma membrane or enter the cytoplasm, possibly in association with cytosolic proteins, and partition into cytoplasmic membranes.

At a more molecular level, the influences of the composition of the membrane domains, which are characteristic of a polarized cell, on diffusion are not specifically defined. These compositional effects include the differential distribution of molecular charges in the membrane domains and between the leaflets of the membrane lipid bilayer (Fig. 3). The membrane domains often have physical differences in surface area, especially in the surface area that is accessible for participation in transport. For example, the surface area in some cells is increased by the presence of membrane folds such as microvilli (see Figs. 2 and 6). The membrane domains also have differences in metabolic selectivity and capacity as well as in active transport due to the asymmetrical distribution of receptors and transporters. 

Amphipathic molecules can form bilayered lamellar structures spontaneously if they have an appropriate geometry. Most of the major cell membrane lipids have a polar head, most commonly a glycerophosphorylester moiety, and a hydrocarbon tail, usually consisting of two... 

Cell membranes are bilayers of amphipathic acids, for example phospholipids and sterols, which contain globular proteins. The structure is governed by the essential requirement for stability in an aqueous environment, that is, the hydrophobic tails of the lipid molecules point towards each other, leaving the outer surfaces composed of polar, hydrophilic groups. 

Most drug substances and substances of interest to health and environmental risk assessors enter cells by passive permeation (diffusion). In this process, a substance dissolves in the membrane lipid bilayer, permeates through the membrane, and enters into the cytoplasm of the cell. The substance thus must be soluble in lipids. The process is passive because the rate and extent to which a substance will enter a cell by this means depends on its concentration outside and inside the cell. The net movement is from the region of higher concentration to that of lower concentration. Unlike the cell membrane, which is chiefly lipid, the extracellular and intracellular spaces separated by the membrane are aqueous. The higher the concentration of substance outside of the cell, and the more soluble the substance in the membrane lipid bilayer, the greater will be the tendency for the substance to diffuse across the membrane and enter the cytoplasm. The rate and extent of diffusion will decrease as the concentration of the substance inside the cell increases until, eventually, equilibrium is reached. 

Cholesterol - an essential component of mammalian cells - is important for the fluidity of membranes. With a single hydroxy group, cholesterol is only weakly am-phipathic. This can lead to its specific orientation within the phospholipid structure. Its influence on membrane fluidity has been studied most extensively in erythrocytes. It was found that increasing the cholesterol content restricts molecular motion in the hydrophobic portion of the membrane lipid bilayer. As the cholesterol content of membranes changes with age, this may affect drug transport and hence drug treatment. In lipid bilayers, there is an upper limit to the amount of cholesterol that can be taken up. The solubility limit has been determined by X-ray diffraction and is... 

Steroid Receptors. Steroid receptors such as estrogen, progesterone, and androgen receptors are overexpressed in breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers. Estrogen and progesterone receptors are present in about 65% of human breast cancers. The presence or absence of these receptors in cases of breast carcinoma assists the determination of the therapeutic strategy (hormonal or chemical) that is likely to be effective. The successful Tc complex must cross the membrane lipid bilayer of the cell, and thus, the size and lipophilicity of the complex must be balanced with receptorbinding affinity. 

In order for a metal ion to reach its intracellular protein target, a number of complex barriers must be crossed. First, the metal existing in the extracellular environment must traverse the plasma membrane of the cell. The lipid bilayers of cellular membranes are generally impermeable to metals and cellular uptake of the ion requires the action of metal transport proteins. A host of membrane transporters reside at the cell surface, some of which are specific for certain ions (e.g. only copper or only zinc), while others are more promiscuous in their choice of metal ion substrate (e.g. can transport both copper and zinc). But all are designed to ensure that cells acquire proper levels of the essential heavy metal ions such as copper, zinc, iron, and manganese. 

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