A lipid bound actin meshwork organizes liquid phase separation in model membranes

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Alf Honigmann - , Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Institute) (Author)
  • Sina Sadeghi - , University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Jan Keller - , Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Institute) (Author)
  • Stefan W. Hell - , Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Institute) (Author)
  • Christian Eggeling - , Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Institute), University of Oxford (Author)
  • Richard Vink - , University of Göttingen (Author)

Abstract

The eukaryotic cell membrane is connected to a dense actin rich cortex. We present FCS and STED experiments showing that dense membrane bound actin networks have severe influence on lipid phase separation. A minimal actin cortex was bound to a supported lipid bilayer via biotinylated lipid streptavidin complexes (pinning sites). In general, actin binding to ternary membranes prevented macroscopic liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered domain formation, even at low temperature. Instead, depending on the type of pinning lipid, an actin correlated multi-domain pattern was observed. FCS measurements revealed hindered diffusion of lipids in the presence of an actin network. To explain our experimental findings, a new simulation model is proposed, in which the membrane composition, the membrane curvature, and the actin pinning sites are all coupled. Our results reveal a mechanism how cells may prevent macroscopic demixing of their membrane components, while at the same time regulate the local membrane composition.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere01671
JournaleLife
Volume2014
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - 18 Mar 2014
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

PubMed 24642407
ORCID /0000-0003-0475-3790/work/161889558