The packing density of a supramolecular membrane protein cluster is controlled by cytoplasmic interactions

Autor: Elisa Merklinger, Jan-Gero Schloetel, Pascal Weber, Helena Batoulis, Sarah Holz, Nora Karnowski, Jérôme Finke, Thorsten Lang
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2017
Předmět:
Zdroj: eLife, Vol 6 (2017)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2050-084X
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.20705
Popis: Molecule clustering is an important mechanism underlying cellular self-organization. In the cell membrane, a variety of fundamentally different mechanisms drive membrane protein clustering into nanometre-sized assemblies. To date, it is unknown whether this clustering process can be dissected into steps differentially regulated by independent mechanisms. Using clustered syntaxin molecules as an example, we study the influence of a cytoplasmic protein domain on the clustering behaviour. Analysing protein mobility, cluster size and accessibility to myc-epitopes we show that forces acting on the transmembrane segment produce loose clusters, while cytoplasmic protein interactions mediate a tightly packed state. We conclude that the data identify a hierarchy in membrane protein clustering likely being a paradigm for many cellular self-organization processes.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals