The interactions of (macro-)molecules with biological membranes underlies much of cell biology. This paper outlines many of the factors that must be taken into account in order to understand fully the nature of these interactions. These include some roles of the membrane potentials including features of the surface and dipole potentials. Several fluorescence detection technologies directed towards these are outlined that offer high-resolution experimental determination of the intermolecular interactions by measuring small changes of these potentials resulting from specific interactions of many kinds of molecular species. The possibilities for making single-cell spatial imaging measurements of such interactions is also described. Examples are used to indicate the feasibility of identifying and tracking localized interactions on the membrane surface in real-time. Some of this work points to the possibility that the membrane dipole potential spatially varies about the cell surface, particularly within membrane microdomains such as ‘rafts’. Such variation is suggested to underlie the altered behaviour of signalling systems within rafts and offer the means of an additional level of biological control.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
October 2003
- PDF Icon PDF LinkFront Matter
Conference Article|
October 01 2003
Intermolecular interactions with/within cell membranes and the trinity of membrane potentials: kinetics and imaging
P. O'Shea
P. O'Shea
1
Cell Biophysics Group, The School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, U.K.
1e-mail paul.oshea@nottingham.ac.uk
Search for other works by this author on:
Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
July 18 2003
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© 2003 Biochemical Society
2003
Biochem Soc Trans (2003) 31 (5): 990–996.
Article history
Received:
July 18 2003
Citation
P. O'Shea; Intermolecular interactions with/within cell membranes and the trinity of membrane potentials: kinetics and imaging. Biochem Soc Trans 1 October 2003; 31 (5): 990–996. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/bst0310990
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign in to your personal account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Captcha Validation Error. Please try again.