Functional imaging of microdomains in cell membranes |
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Authors: | James Duggan Ghadir Jamal Mark Tilley Ben Davis Graeme McKenzie Kelly Vere Michael G Somekh Paul O’Shea Helen Harris |
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Institution: | (1) Cell Biophysics Group, School of Biology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK;(2) Applied Optics Group, School of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK;(3) Present address: Hepatitis C Research Group, Division of Immunity and Infection, University of Birmingham, Vincent Drive, Birmingham, UK |
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Abstract: | The presence of microdomains or rafts within cell membranes is a topic of intense study and debate. The role of these structures
in cell physiology, however, is also not yet fully understood with many outstanding problems. This problem is partly based
on the small size of raft structures that presents significant problems to their in vivo study, i.e., within live cell membranes.
But the structure and dynamics as well as the factors that control the assembly and disassembly of rafts are also of major
interest. In this review we outline some of the problems that the study of rafts in cell membranes present as well as describing
some views of what are considered the generalised functions of membrane rafts. We point to the possibility that there may
be several different ‘types’ of membrane raft in cell membranes and consider the factors that affect raft assembly and disassembly,
particularly, as some researchers suggest that the lifetimes of rafts in cell membranes may be sub-second. We attempt to review
some of the methods that offer the ability to interrogate rafts directly as well as describing factors that appear to affect
their functionality. The former include both near-field and far-field optical approaches as well as scanning probe techniques.
Some of the advantages and disadvantages of these techniques are outlined. Finally, we describe our own views of raft functionality
and properties, particularly, concerning the membrane dipole potential, and describe briefly some of the imaging strategies
we have developed for their study. |
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Keywords: | Rafts Membrane microdomains Imaging Dipole potential Signaling Diffraction limit |
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