AFM Imaging of Lipid Domains in Model Membranes
Characterization of the two-dimensional organization of biological membranes is one of the most important issues that remains to be achieved in order to understand their structure-function relationships. According to the current view, biological membranes would be organized in in-plane functional mi...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2003-01-01
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| Series: | The Scientific World Journal |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2003.12 |
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| Summary: | Characterization of the two-dimensional organization of biological membranes is one of the most important issues that remains to be achieved in order to understand their structure-function relationships. According to the current view, biological membranes would be organized in in-plane functional microdomains. At least for one category of them, called rafts, the lateral segregation would be driven by lipid-lipid interactions. Basic questions like the size, the kinetics of formation, or the transbilayer organization of lipid microdomains are still a matter of debate, even in model membranes. Because of its capacity to image structures with a resolution that extends from the molecular to the microscopic level, atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a useful tool for probing the mesoscopic lateral organization of lipid mixtures. This paper reviews AFM studies on lateral lipid domains induced by lipid-lipid interactions in model membranes. |
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| ISSN: | 1537-744X |