Cholesterol modulates the bilayer structure of biological membranes in multiple ways. It
changes the fluidity, thickness, compressibility, water penetration and intrinsic curvature of …

Cell membranes display a tremendous complexity of lipids and proteins designed to perform
the functions cells require. To coordinate these functions, the membrane is able to laterally …

The nuclear envelope (NE) is a spherical double membrane with elastic properties. How NE
shape and elasticity are regulated by lipid chemistry is unknown. Here we discover lipid acyl …

Eukaryotic plasma membranes are compartmentalized into functional lateral domains,
including lipid-driven membrane rafts. Rafts are involved in most plasma membrane …

The fluid mosaic model of Singer and Nicolson (1972) is a commonly used representation of
the cell membrane structure and dynamics. However a number of features, the result of four …

The rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae uses a pressurized infection cell called an
appressorium to drive a rigid penetration peg through the leaf cuticle. The vast internal …

Steroid hormones are made from cholesterol, primarily derived from lipoproteins that enter
cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis. In endo-lysosomes, cholesterol is released from …

The observation of lateral phase separation in lipid bilayers has received considerable
attention, especially in connection to lipid raft phenomena in cells. It is widely accepted that …

To execute their many vital functions, cell membranes are highly organized. Here, we review
how membrane structure shapes signal transduction across membranes. Recent …

The Singer-Nicholson model of membranes postulated a uniform lipid bilayer randomly
studded with floating proteins. However, it became clear almost immediately that …