Self-Organization of Membranes

Physical Basis of Self-Organization and Function of Membranes: Physics of Vesicles

Hierarchical organization versus self-organization

In this paper we try to define the difference between hierarchical organization and selforganization. Organization is defined as a structure with a function. So we can define the difference between hierarchical organization and self-organization both on the structure as on the function. In the next two chapters these two definitions are given. For the structure we will use some existing definit...

Cellular organization by self-organization

We use the oscillating Min proteins of Escherichia coli as a prototype system to illustrate the current state and potential of modeling protein dynamics in space and time. We demonstrate how a theoretical approach has led to striking new insights into the mechanisms of self-organization in bacterial cells and indicate how these ideas may be applicable to more complex structure formation in euka...

Organization of translocon complexes in ER membranes.

Protein translocation in the ER (endoplasmic reticulum) and N-glycosylation are fundamental processes essential for the normal functioning of eukaryotic cells. They are the initial steps in the intracellular pathway that are followed by secretory proteins and membrane proteins of the endomembrane system and the plasma membrane. The translocation and concurrent N-glycosylation of these proteins ...

The organization of melatonin in lipid membranes.

Melatonin is a hormone that has been shown to have protective effects in several diseases that are associated with cholesterol dysregulation, including cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, and certain types of cancers. We studied the interaction of melatonin with model membranes made of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) at melatonin concentrations ranging from 0.5mol% to 30mol%. Fro...