Eukaryotic Cell Membranes: Structure, Composition, Research Methods and Computational Modelling

Abstract

This paper deals with the problems encountered in the study of eukaryotic cell membranes. A discussion on the structure and composition of membranes, lateral heterogeneity of membranes, lipid raft formation, and involvement of actin and cytoskeleton networks in the maintenance of membrane structure is included. Modern methods for the study of membranes and their constituent domains are discussed. Various simplified models of biomembranes and lipid rafts are presented. Computer modelling is considered as one of the most important methods. This is stated that from the study of the plasma membrane structure, it is desirable to proceed to the diverse membranes of all organelles of the cell. The qualitative composition and molar content of individual classes of polar lipids, free sterols and proteins in each of these membranes must be considered. A program to create an open access electronic database including results obtained from the membrane modelling of individual cell organelles and the key sites of the membranes, as well as models of individual molecules composing the membranes, has been proposed.

Comprehensive analysis of the microbial consortium in the culture of flagellateMonocercomonoides exilis

“…encode genes for the synthesis of the essential polyamine spermidine and the phospholipid phosphatidylcholine. While phosphatidylcholine is one of the major components of cell membranes (Zhukov and Popov, 2023), spermidine is involved in an array of biological processes, such as maintenance of membrane potential, control of intracellular pH, lipid metabolism and regulation of cell growth, proliferation, and death (Michael, 2016). In both cases, our metabolic analysis fails to identify a pathway that can synthesize these compounds de novo in M. exilis , suggesting that the eukaryote may depend on the uptake of these compounds from these prokaryotes.…”

Antifungal activity of eumelanin-inspired indoylenepheyleneethynylene against Cryptococcus neoformans

“…Combining all the data from the RNA sequencing and the electron microscopy, we composed a putative model based on the effects of EIPE-1 against C. neoformans as displayed in Figure 6 . As found in all living eukaryotic cells, beneath the fungal cell wall, C. neoformans possesses a plasma membrane that consists of a phospholipid bilayer ( Rodrigues et al, 2008 ; Agustinho et al, 2018 ; Upadhya et al, 2023 ; Zhukov and Popov, 2023 ). This membrane maintains the viability of a cell and prevents the free exchange of molecules from the cytoplasm to the cell’s environment and vice versa ( Upadhya et al, 2023 ).…”

Faecal Short-Chain, Long-Chain, and Branched-Chain Fatty Acids as Markers of Different Chronic Inflammatory Enteropathies in Dogs

“…BCS and MCS were evaluated based on the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) nutritional guidelines [26]. MCS was classified as normal (3), mild (2), moderate (1), or severe (0) muscle loss.…”

“…Lipids are one of the major constituents of biological membranes and are organised into a bilayer configuration in which proteins with crucial functions are partially or completely embedded [ 1 ]. These phospholipid-based bilayers are important for the preservation of structural integrity, but also allow the regulation of membrane fluidity for signal molecules, metabolites, and ions [ 2 ].…”