Current Topics in Membranes is targeted toward scientists and researchers in biochemistry and molecular and cellular biology, providing the necessary membrane research to assist them in discovering the current state of a particular field and in learning where that field is heading. This volume offers an up to date presentation of current knowledge in the field of Lipid Domains. - Written by leading experts - Contains original material, both textual and illustrative, that should become a very relevant reference material - The material is presented in a very comprehensive manner - Both researchers in the field and general readers should find relevant and up-to-date information
Biophysical Approaches for the Study of Membrane Structure, Part B, Volume 701 explores lipid membrane asymmetry and lateral heterogeneity. A burst of recent research has shown that bilayers whose leaflets differ in their physical properties—such as composition, phase state, or lateral stress—exhibit many fascinating new characteristics, but also pose a host of challenges related to their creation, characterization, simulation, and theoretical description. Chapters in this new release include Characterization of domain formation in complex membranes: Analyzing the bending modulus from simulations of complex membranes, The density-threshold affinity: Calculating lipid binding affinities from unbiased Coarse-Grain Molecular Dynamics simulations, and much more.Additional sections cover Uncertainty quantification for trans-membrane stresses and moments from simulation, Using molecular dynamics simulations to generate small-angle scattering curves and cryo-EM images of proteoliposomes, Binary Bilayer Simulations for Partitioning Within Membranes, Modeling Asymmetric Cell Membranes at All-atom Resolution, Multiscale remodeling of biomembranes and vesicles, Building complex membranes with Martini 3, Predicting lipid sorting in curved bilayer membranes, Simulating asymmetric membranes using P21 periodic boundary conditions, and many other interesting topics. - Explore the state-of-the-art of lipid membrane asymmetry - Covers experimental, theoretical, and computational techniques to create and characterize asymmetric lipid membranes - Teaches how these kinds of approaches create and characterize laterally inhomogeneous membranes
An authoritative, extensively illustrated clinician's textbook, The Biology of the Skin is written expressly for practitioners and residents in dermatology, plastic surgery, and otolaryngology. Essentially an expansion of the editors' and contributing authors' popular "Structure and Function" course given annually at the meetings of the American Academy of Dermatology, the book teaches skin biology in the context of practical clinical settings. This book covers the basic biology of the skin, how the skin functions, effects of the environment, the molecules that direct cutaneous function, genetic influences, and methods in cutaneous research. The Biology of the Skin provides a selective review of all biologic processes involving the skin and will foster an appreciation of how the skin works based on our knowledge of the basic science of skin structure and function in the 21st century.
Exploring recent developments in the field, Coarse-Graining of Condensed Phase and Biomolecular Systems examines systematic ways of constructing coarse-grained representations for complex systems. It explains how this approach can be used in the simulation and modeling of condensed phase and biomolecular systems. Assembling some of the most influential, world-renowned researchers in the field, this book covers the latest developments in the coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation and modeling of condensed phase and biomolecular systems. Each chapter focuses on specific examples of evolving coarse-graining methodologies and presents results for a variety of complex systems. The contributors discuss the minimalist, inversion, and multiscale approaches to coarse-graining, along with the emerging challenges of coarse-graining. They also connect atomic-level information with new coarse-grained representations of complex systems, such as lipid bilayers, proteins, peptides, and DNA.
This book is the third volume in this highly successful series. Since the first volume in 1989 and the second in 1993, many exciting developments have occurred in the development of simulation techniques and their application to key biological problems such as protein folding, protein structure prediction and structure-based design, and in how, by combining experimental and theoretical approaches, very large biological systems can be studied at the molecular level. This series attempts to capture that progress. Volume 3 includes contributions that highlight developments in methodology which enable longer and more realistic simulations (e.g. multiple time steps and variable reduction techniques), a study of force fields for proteins and new force field development, a novel approach to the description of molecular shape and the use of molecular shape descriptors, the study of condensed phase chemical reactions, the use of electrostatic techniques in the study of protonation, equilibria and flexible docking studies, structure refinement using experimental data (X-ray, NMR, neutron, infrared) and theoretical methods (solvation models, normal mode analysis, MD simulations, MC lattice dynamics, and knowledge-based potentials). There are several chapters that show progress in the development of methodologies for the study of folding processes, binding affinities, and the prediction of ligand-protein complexes. The chapters, contributed by experienced researchers, many of whom are leaders in their field of study, are organised to cover developments in: simulation methodology the treatment of electrostatics protein structure refinement the combined experimental and theoretical approaches to the study of very large biological systems applications and methodology involved in the study of protein folding applications and methodology associated with structure-based design.
Biophysics is a rapidly-evolving interdisciplinary science that applies theories and methods of the physical sciences to questions of biology. Biophysics encompasses many disciplines, including physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, biochemistry, medicine, pharmacology, physiology, and neuroscience, and it is essential that scientists working in these varied fields are able to understand each other's research. Comprehensive Biophysics, Nine Volume Set will help bridge that communication gap. Written by a team of researchers at the forefront of their respective fields, under the guidance of Chief Editor Edward Egelman, Comprehensive Biophysics, Nine Volume Set provides definitive introductions to a broad array of topics, uniting different areas of biophysics research - from the physical techniques for studying macromolecular structure to protein folding, muscle and molecular motors, cell biophysics, bioenergetics and more. The result is this comprehensive scientific resource - a valuable tool both for helping researchers come to grips quickly with material from related biophysics fields outside their areas of expertise, and for reinforcing their existing knowledge. Biophysical research today encompasses many areas of biology. These studies do not necessarily share a unique identifying factor. This work unites the different areas of research and allows users, regardless of their background, to navigate through the most essential concepts with ease, saving them time and vastly improving their understanding The field of biophysics counts several journals that are directly and indirectly concerned with the field. There is no reference work that encompasses the entire field and unites the different areas of research through deep foundational reviews. Comprehensive Biophysics fills this vacuum, being a definitive work on biophysics. It will help users apply context to the diverse journal literature offering, and aid them in identifying areas for further research Chief Editor Edward Egelman (E-I-C, Biophysical Journal) has assembled an impressive, world-class team of Volume Editors and Contributing Authors. Each chapter has been painstakingly reviewed and checked for consistent high quality. The result is an authoritative overview which ties the literature together and provides the user with a reliable background information and citation resource
An overview of recent experimental and theoretical developments in the field of the physics of membranes, including new insights from the past decade. The author uses classical thermal physics and physical chemistry to explain our current understanding of the membrane. He looks at domain and 'raft' formation, and discusses it in the context of thermal fluctuations that express themselves in heat capacity and elastic constants. Further topics are lipid-protein interactions, protein binding, and the effect of sterols and anesthetics. Many seemingly unrelated properties of membranes are shown to be intimately intertwined, leading for instance to a coupling between membrane state, domain formation and vesicular shape. This also applies to non-equilibrium phenomena like the propagation of density pulses during nerve activity. Also included is a discussion of the application of computer simulations on membranes. For both students and researchers of biophysics, biochemistry, physical chemistry, and soft matter physics.
Biological membranes protect cells and organelles from the surrounding environment, but serve also as organising platforms for physiological processes such as cell signalling. The hydrophobic core of membranes is composed of lipids and proteins influencing each other. Local membrane composition and properties define its molecular organisation and, in this way, regulate the function of all associated molecules. Therefore, studying interactions of components, biophysical properties and overall membrane dynamics provides essential information on its function in the context of cell activities. Such knowledge can contribute to biomedical fields such as pharmacology, immunology, neurobiology and many others. The goal of the Research Topic entitled ‘Molecular organisation of membranes: where biology meets biophysics’ was to provide a comprehensive platform for publishing articles, reviews and opinions focused on membrane organisation and the forces behind its heterogeneous and dynamic structure. We collected 11 works which cover topics as diverse as general membrane organisation models, membrane trafficking and signalling regulation, biogenesis of caveolae, protein-lipid interactions and the importance of membrane-associated tetraspanins networks. The prevalent theme was the existence of membrane nanodomains. To this point, new emerging technologies are presented which own the power to bring a novel insight on how membrane nanodomains are formed and maintained and what is their function. We believe that the collection of works in this Research Topic brings forward some important questions which will stimulate further research in this difficult but exciting field.
This volume focuses on the modulation of biological membranes by specific biophysical properties. The readers are introduced to emerging biophysical approaches that mimick specific states (like membrane lipid asymmetry, membrane curvature, lipid flip-flop, lipid phase separation) that are relevant to the functioning of biological membranes. The first chapter describes innovative methods to mimic the prevailing asymmetry in biological membranes by forming asymmetrical membranes made of monolayers with different compositions. One of the chapters illustrates how physical parameters, like curvature and elasticity, can affect and modulate the interactions between lipids and proteins. This volume also describes the sensitivity of certain ion channels to mechanical forces and it presents an analysis of how cell shape is determined by both the cytoskeleton and the lipid domains in the membrane. The last chapter provides evidence that liposomes can be used as a minimal cellular model to reconstitute processes related to the origin of life. Each topic covered in this volume is presented by leading experts in the field who are able to present clear, authoritative and up-to-date reviews. The novelty of the methods proposed and their potential for a deeper molecular description of membrane functioning are particularly relevant experts in the areas of biochemistry, biophysics and cell biology, while also presenting clear and thorough introductions, making the material suitable for students in these fields as well.
This handbook provides a comprehensive overview of lipid membrane fundamentals and applications. It gives the fundamental physical and biochemical aspects of membrane-related processes in living cells, and then relates them to how scientists are building bioinspired, artifical membrane-based systems such as gene delivery vehicles and synthetic membrane interfaces. It highlights the driving mechanism behind lipid self-assembly, membrane shape evolution, and vesicle trafficing, as well as the role of lipid membrane composition in signalling and the structural aspects of membranes in cellular integrity. Key Features: Includes a broad overview on the role of lipids as structural components of membranes, energy storage molecules, and signaling molecules. Covers lipids in signaling and the role of lipids in everyday life, from diet and health to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Discusses applications in nanotechnology and biomedicine, including liposomes in drug discovery, lipids for in vivo therapeutics, lipid-based sensors, artificial biointerfaces, and synthetic polymers. Includes an exciting section that explores the practical use of Archae lipids, lipids and the origins of life, and future outlook for the field. This book is a great companion for professionals in physics, biochemistry, physical chemistry and material sciences.
