Fluctuations in phospholipid composition can cause
changes in membrane protein function, providing a previously unrecognized way
to control cellular processes.
There are two types of membrane proteins inside the
phospholipid environment. Hydrophilic (water-loving) are exposed on the
membrane surface where they stably interact with the aqueous environment
surrounding membranes, and hydrophobic (water-repelling) are exposed to the
interior of membranes.
Because of this balance of hydrophilic and hydrophobic
proteins on the inside and outside side of the cell membrane, the conditions
remain stable.
To find out, researchers constructed mutants of the
bacterium Escherichia coli and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in which the
composition of these "building blocks" could be varied. How cells
regulate various processes is central to maintaining cell viability, and it's a
unique property of each cell type.
For further details see:
Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle
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Pharmaceutical Microbiology