Cell Membrane Nanodomains: From Biochemistry to Nanoscopy describes recent advances in our understanding of membrane organization, with a particular focus on the cutting-edge imaging techniques that are making these new discoveries possible. With contributions from pioneers in the field, the book explores areas where the application of these novel techniques reveals new concepts in biology. It assembles a collection of works where the integration of membrane biology and microscopy emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of this exciting field. Beginning with a broad description of membrane organization, including seminal work on lipid partitioning in model systems and the roles of proteins in membrane organization, the book examines how lipids and membrane compartmentalization can regulate protein function and signal transduction. It then focuses on recent advances in imaging techniques and tools that foster further advances in our understanding of signaling nanoplatforms. The coverage includes several diffraction-limited imaging techniques that allow for measurements of protein distribution/clustering and membrane curvature in living cells, new fluorescent proteins, novel Laurdan analyses, and the toolbox of labeling possibilities with organic dyes. Since superresolution optical techniques have been crucial to advancing our understanding of cellular structure and protein behavior, the book concludes with a discussion of technologies that are enabling the visualization of lipids, proteins, and other molecular components at unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. It also explains the ins and outs of the rapidly developing high- or superresolution microscopy field, including new methods and data analysis tools that exclusively pertain to these techniques. This integration of membrane biology and advanced imaging techniques emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of this exciting field. The array of contributions from leading world experts makes this book a valuable tool for the visualization of signaling nanoplatforms by means of cutting-edge optical microscopy tools.

Beginning with a broad description of membrane organization, including seminal work on lipid partitioning in model systems and the roles of proteins in membrane organization, the book examines how lipids and membrane compartmentalization can regulate protein function and signal transduction. It then focuses on recent advances in imaging techniques and tools that foster further advances in our understanding of signaling nanoplatforms. The coverage includes several diffraction-limited imaging techniques that allow for measurements of protein distribution/clustering and membrane curvature in living cells, new fluorescent proteins, novel Laurdan analyses, and the toolbox of labeling possibilities with organic dyes

Many membranes in eukaryotic cells are inhomogeneous structures in which various membrane components are nonrandomly distributed, forming diverse types of 'domains.' Some membrane domains have long been well known, because they are sufficiently large, long-lived, and morphologically well defined to be characterized using classical microscopic and biochemical approaches. However, new technologies have revealed the presence in membranes of smaller, often highly dynamic 'nanodomains' that also play key roles in membrane function. Our current understanding of the diversity, the properties, and the functions of nanodomains is still very limited and, in some cases, controversial. Nonetheless, it is clear that many important aspects of membrane biology arise from features of membrane organization that 'play out' on spatial and temporal scales that are only now becoming experimentally accessible in living systems. In this book, we will discuss properties and interactions of membrane molecules that lead to nanodomain formation, new and emerging technologies by which nanodomains can be studied, and experimental examples that illustrate both highlights and current limitations of our present knowledge of the properties of membrane nanodomains in various cell types.

This book furthers the readers' understanding of the fundamental molecular mechanisms that govern nanostructures and protein function relationships at the cell membrane and explains the ins and outs of this rapidly developing high- or super-resolution microscopy field. Contributing writers include experts from the optical nanoscopy and microscop

Cell Membrane Nanodomains: From Biochemistry to Nanoscopy describes recent advances in our understanding of membrane organization, with a particular focus on the cutting-edge imaging techniques that are making these new discoveries possible. With contributions from pioneers in the field, the book explores areas where the application of these novel

Endocytosis is a fundamental cellular process by means of which cells internalize extracellular and plasma membrane cargos for recycling or degradation. It is important for the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity, subcellular signaling and uptake of nutrients into specialized cells, but also for plant cell interactions with pathogenic and symbiotic microbes. Endocytosis starts by vesicle formation at the plasma membrane and progresses through early and late endosomal compartments. In these endosomes cargo is sorted and it is either recycled back to the plasma membrane, or degraded in the lytic vacuole. This book presents an overview of our current knowledge of endocytosis in plants with a main focus on the key molecules undergoing and regulating endocytosis. It also provides up to date methodological approaches as well as principles of protein, structural lipid, sugar and microbe internalization in plant cells. The individual chapters describe clathrin-mediated and fluid-phase endocytosis, as well as flotillin-mediated endocytosis and internalization of microbes. The book was written for a broad spectrum of readers including students, teachers and researchers.

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.

Many membranes in eukaryotic cells are inhomogeneous structures in which various membrane components are nonrandomly distributed, forming diverse types of ‘domains.’ Some membrane domains have long been well known, because they are sufficiently large, long-lived, and morphologically well defined to be characterized using classical microscopic and biochemical approaches. However, new technologies have revealed the presence in membranes of smaller, often highly dynamic ‘nanodomains’ that also play key roles in membrane function. Our current understanding of the diversity, the properties, and the functions of nanodomains is still very limited and, in some cases, controversial. Nonetheless, it is clear that many important aspects of membrane biology arise from features of membrane organization that ‘play out’ on spatial and temporal scales that are only now becoming experimentally accessible in living systems. In this book, we will discuss properties and interactions of membrane molecules that lead to nanodomain formation, new and emerging technologies by which nanodomains can be studied, and experimental examples that illustrate both highlights and current limitations of our present knowledge of the properties of membrane nanodomains in various cell types.