SKM 2021 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 6: Membranes and Vesicles

BP 6.1: Hauptvortrag

Donnerstag, 30. September 2021, 13:30–14:00, H6

How do lipids and proteins diffuse in cell membranes, and what do the diffusion experiments actually measure? — •Ilpo Vattulainen — Department of Physics, University of Helsinki

There are various techniques able to gauge diffusion in biomembranes. For instance, quasi-elastic neutron scattering measures diffusion in a non-perturbative manner over nanosecond time scales, yet sampling in space is in these experiments done over large distances. Meanwhile, single-particle tracking allows one to measure the dynamics of individual molecules in almost nanometer resolution, but these measurements are based on the use of markers that may interfere with the diffusion process. Here we discuss nanoscale simulation studies designed to explore the underlying molecular-scale diffusion mechanisms of lipids and membrane proteins. We also discuss the bases of single-particle tracking experiments by considering the effects of streptavidin-functionalized Au nanoparticle probes on lateral diffusion. The results show that lipids diffuse in a concerted fashion as clusters of lipids whose motion is highly correlated, and membrane proteins move as dynamical complexes with tens of lipids bound to the protein. Lipids linked to a streptavidin-nanoparticle complex also turn out to move in a concerted manner but as a complex with the linker protein and numerous non-labeled lipids, slowing down the motion of the probe by an order of magnitude. The results highlight that prior to using any technique, it is crucial to understand the physical basis of the diffusion process that one aims to measure. Otherwise, interpretation of experimental data can be a surprisingly difficult task.