Protein Diffusion in Cell Membranes: Some Biological Implications

Abstract

This chapter discusses the biological implications of protein diffusion in cell membranes. Current efforts to capture and quantitate the motion of proteins in membranes are predicated on the assumption that this phenomenon has important biological implications. The chapter reviews the bases of that assumption and discusses how passive diffusion of membrane proteins contributes directly to certain biological functions. It explains how cells might deal with the potentially negative consequences of protein lateral motion. The chapter also explains how lateral diffusion of membrane proteins may directly facilitate a number of membrane-mediated biological functions, including self-assembly, cell–cell recognition and adhesion, enzymatic reactions, hormonal response, and other signaling processes. It highlights the fact that the diffusion of a membrane protein is a reflection of the fluid lipid environment in which it resides.