Spontaneous Membrane Nanodomain Formation in the Absence or Presence of the Neurotransmitter Serotonin.

ABSTRACT: Detailed knowledge on the formation of biomembrane domains, their structure, composition, and physical characteristics is scarce. Despite its frequently discussed importance in signaling, e.g., in obtaining localized non-homogeneous receptor compositions in the plasma membrane, the nanometer size as well as the dynamic and transient nature of domains impede their experimental characterization. In turn, atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations combine both, high spatial and high temporal resolution. Here, using microsecond atomistic MD simulations, we characterize the spontaneous and unbiased formation of nano-domains in a plasma membrane model containing phosphatidylcholine (POPC), palmitoyl-sphingomyelin (PSM), and cholesterol (Chol) in the presence or absence of the neurotransmitter

SUBMITTER: Bochicchio A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7734319 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature