3A: Structure of the Cell Membrane

I. PIONEERING STUDIES ON THE CELL MEMBRANE STRUCTURE

A. Plasma Membrane of attached to
Eukaryotes cystoskeleton)
 Internal network of membrane  could affect mobility
 Interacts and not isolated and aggregation
 Responds to stimuli from the  glycoprotein
environment complexes can form
 Conduit of internal cell and (energy-dependent)
external environment
2. 2014 Revision (by Nicolson)
 clustering, different
B. Fluid Mosaic Membrane Model domains
by Singer and Nicolson (1972)  not all membranes are
 Set of globular and integral the same in terms of
proteins inserted in a lipid bilayer mobility and
 Mosaic – globular & integral composition
proteins are embedded in the  restriction of
membrane movements in/by:
 Fluid – lipids, membrane parts  lipid domains
aren’t stationary  membrane complexes
 cytoskeleton
1. 1976 Revision  cytoskeleton-fencing
 cytoskeleton on  glycoproteins +
cytosolic side oligosaccharides
 not all parts have same  restriction of
fluidity movement can affect
 semi-frozen (proteins aggregation and
can move/stationary; composition of lipid
fixed components domains

II. BIOMEMBRANE ARCHITECTURE

A. Lipid
1. Glycerolipids
 Most abundant; bilayer
 Aka glycerophospholipids/phosphoglycerides

Components:
a. Glycerolipids
 Glycerol backbone w/2 FA chains or tails
 FA chain length (14-24 C; saturated/unsat; linear/branched)

BIO 120. Cell Biology 2nd Semester 2324 | ipluna

 b. Phospholipids
 Phosphate group (links polar head group to the rest of the phospholipid)
 Hydrophilic, hydroxylated
 Phosphoester linked (eu)
 Polar head groups (choline, ethanolamine, serine, inositol)

Phosphatidate/Phosphatidic Acid:
 Simplest phospholipid
 Polar head group of H
 Signaling lipid; activated pathway regulating muscle growth
 Influence membrane curvature

Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine:
 2 16-C fatty acid (palmitic acid)
 found in alveolar membrane in lungs
 major component of lung surfactant
 lowers surface tension in water-air interface > stops lungs from collapsing >
oxygen easily enters

Note:
Premature babies may not be able to sufficiently produce DPPC so their lungs may have difficulty in
inflating.

DPPC is usually administered as an aerosol sprayed into the passageway of the infant.

2. Sphingolipids
 2nd most abundant class of lipids
 predominant in nerve cell membrane
 backbone: sphingosine (18 C alcohol)
 w/one FA chain + polar head group
 protects cell (+ stability, chemical resistance)
 serves as cell surface marker/antigen; binding sites
 involve in cell to cell signaling
 amount of glycosphingolipids are tightly regulated (normal amounts)

Possible polar head groups:

a. H – ceramide
b. Phosphate – sphingomyelin (component of myelin sheath)
c. CHO/sugar – glycosphingolipid (cerebrosides/gangliosides)

Medical Implications:
a. Tay-Sach’s Disease
i. Hexosaminidase A isn’t functioning well/gene is mutated
 HA (lysosomal) – hydrolyzes excess amounts of glycosphingolipids
specifically gf2 gangliosides
ii. Increased amount of gangliosides
 Nerve cell functions will stop
 Nerve impulses will not be transmitted
 Cell will deteriorate
 Children w/this condition go blind, deaf, paralyzed muscle
BIO 120. Cell Biology 2nd Semester 2324 | ipluna
 b. ABO grouping/system of blood types
 Due to glycolipids acting as antigens in the CM of erythrocytes
 Types:
 O – H antigen
 A – H antigen + acetylgalactosamine
 B – H antigen + galactose
 AB – H antigen + acetylgalactosamine + galactose

3. Sterol
 3rd classes of lipids
 only found in eu membrane exc. in mitochondria and prokaryotes
 hydrophobic cholesterol – in animals
 phytosterol – in plants

Significance of sterols:
a. Regulate membrane fluidity
b. Increase membrane stability and flexibility
c. Less permeable to small-water soluble molecules

B. Proteins
1. Functions
 Transport
 Receptors (signal transduction pathway)
 Intracellular joining and support
 Sorting and release of secretory proteins
 Antigen (cell surface markers)
2. Types
a. Integral/transmembrane
i. single – pass across membrane once
ii. multi – cuts across membrane several times
b. Peripheral - Cell surface; exposed in cytoplasm; hydrophilic

Characteristics Integral Peripheral

location buried in hydrophobic interior bound to membrane surface
reqs for release from agents that disrupt lipid bilayer trts that leave membrane intact
membrane
association with lipids when YES NO
released
water solubility usually insoluble usually soluble

3. Other Characteristics
 Glycosidic bonds: associates cell membrane w/proteins
 Membrane-associated proteins
a. glycosaminoglycans – extracellular side
b. cytosolic protein – links cytosol to the cell membrane
c. extracellular proteins – links external env to cell membrane
 for cell-to-cell adhesion, cell motility, endo/exocytosis

BIO 120. Cell Biology 2nd Semester 2324 | ipluna

 4. Fluorescence Recovery After
Photobleaching (FRAP) 6. Significance of the Mosaic
a. Green, fluorescent dye is Domains
attached to proteins. a. higher collision/reaction
b. A laser beam bleaches a rate among domains
spot by damaging the b. regulates spatial variation
fluorescence of affected
proteins. 7. Protein + Carbohydrate =
c. After some time, Glycoproteins
fluorescence will recover  Proteins with attached
in the bleached spot glycans (CHO moieties,
because of the oligosaccharides)
movement of fluorescent  Usually localized at the
proteins towards the membrane
bleached area.  N-linked – CHO w/several
d. Recovery will not reach sugar molecules attached
100% since cytoskeletal to N atom of Asn
elements prevent protein  O-linked – attachment of
movement with damaged sugar to the O atom of
fluorescence. Ser/Thr residue
 Functions:
5. Modes of Membrane Protein a. Provides structural
Motility components to the cell
a. motor proteins: ‘walk’ on wall and extracellular
cytoskeleton matrix
(microtubules) b. Modify protein
b. restricted membrane properties (stability,
fluidity due to solubility)
cytoskeleton fencing c. Directs trafficking of
c. random diffusion of the glycoproteins
membrane d. Mediates cell signaling

III. FEATURES OF THE CELL MEMBRANE

A. Lipid Distribution
1. Lipid bilayer -asymmetrical
2. Cytosolic monolayer - phospholipids + serine and amine grps
3. Extracellular monolayer - phospholipids + choline and sphingomyelin

Significance of asymmetry:
 Maintain cellular stability
 Maintain enzyme activities
 Regulates membrane curvature
 Prevention of diseases and pathological conditions (eg. cancer, apoptosis,
immune system disorders)

It is in the extracellular monolayer where you can find CHO moiety associated with the
membrane.

BIO 120. Cell Biology 2nd Semester 2324 | ipluna

 B. Movements in the Cell Membrane
1. Flexion - FA tails
2. Rotation - glycerophospholipids in its axis
3. Lateral diffusion - move abt the same monolayer; most common
4. Flip-flop/transverse diffusion - rare; maintaining asymmetry; require lipid
transporters
a. Flippases - ATP-dependent; transport lipid to cytosolic monolayer
b. Flappases - ATP-independent; towards extracellular layer
c. Scrambalases - ATP-independent; bidirectional

The steroid ring of sterol will associate itself to the fatty acid tail making the non-polar tail partially
immobile (restricting the fluidity of fatty acid tails).

Hydrophilic water-soluble molecules will be repelled by the hydrophobic tails.

C. Importance of Membrane Fluidity

1. transport of ions on the nerve cells; diffusion
2. Membrane protection
3. Membrane mechanical stability

D. Membrane Phase Transition

 normal fluid state of the membrane can change
 fluidity may increase or decrease by melting or freezing, respectively
 Phase transition temperature (PTT) - temp in which the membrane becomes
fluid
 Protection from mechanical damage
 Allows membrane to perform its function

Factors affecting MPT:

1. Temperature
a. Low C - rigid, viscous, gel-like
b. High C - more mobile; disordered; fluid

Factors affecting PTT:

1. Hydrocarbon chain length (direct)
2. Degree of saturation (inverse)
3. Homoviscous adaptation - ability to regulated phase transition; keep membrane
fluid in cold conditions

2. Cholesterol
1. Low C - increase fluidity
2. High C - decrease fluidity

(print BIO 120 lecture handout 3)

BIO 120. Cell Biology 2nd Semester 2324 | ipluna