Thermo-elasticity and adhesion as regulators of cell membrane architecture and function

Elastic forces and structural phase transitions control the architecture and function of bio-membranes from the molecular to the microscopic scale of organization. The multi-component lipid bilayer matrix behaves as a pseudo-ternary system. Together with elastically and electrostatically mediated specific lipid-protein interaction mechanisms, fluid-fluid phase separation can occur at physiological temperatures. This can drive the transient generation of micro-domains of distinct composition within multi-component lipid-protein alloys, enabling cells to optimize the efficiency of biochemical reactions by facilitating or inhibiting the access of enzymes by distinct substrates or regulatory proteins. Together with global shape changes governed by the principle of minimum bending energy and induced curvature by macromolecular adsorption, phase separation processes can also play a key role for the sorting of lipids and proteins between intracellular compartments during the vesicle mediated intracellular material transport. Cell adhesion is another example of mechanical force controlled membrane processes. By interplay of attractive lock and key forces, long range disjoining pressures mediated by repeller molecules or membrane undulations and elastic interfacial forces, adhesion induced domain formation can play a dual role for the immunological stimulation of lymphocytes and for the rapid control of the adhesion strength. The present picture of the thermo-elastic control of membrane processes based on concepts of local thermal equilibrium is still rudimentary and has to be extended in the future to account for the intrinsic non-equilibrium situation associated with the constant restructuring of the cellular compartments on a timescale of minutes. (topical review)