TitleActive emulsions in living cell membranes driven by contractile stresses and transbilayer coupling
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2022
AuthorsSaha S, Das A, Patra C, Anilkumar AA, Sil P, Mayor S, Rao M
JournalProc Natl Acad Sci U S A.
Volume119
Issue30
Paginatione2123056119
Date Published07/2022
Abstract

The spatiotemporal organization of proteins and lipids on the cell surface has direct functional consequences for signaling, sorting, and endocytosis. Earlier studies have shown that multiple types of membrane proteins, including transmembrane proteins that have cytoplasmic actin binding capacity and lipid-tethered glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-APs), form nanoscale clusters driven by active contractile flows generated by the actin cortex. To gain insight into the role of lipids in organizing membrane domains in living cells, we study the molecular interactions that promote the actively generated nanoclusters of GPI-APs and transmembrane proteins. This motivates a theoretical description, wherein a combination of active contractile stresses and transbilayer coupling drives the creation of active emulsions, mesoscale liquid order (lo) domains of the GPI-APs and lipids, at temperatures greater than equilibrium lipid phase segregation. To test these ideas, we use spatial imaging of molecular clustering combined with local membrane order, and we demonstrate that mesoscopic domains enriched in nanoclusters of GPI-APs are maintained by cortical actin activity and transbilayer interactions and exhibit significant lipid order, consistent with predictions of the active composite model.

DOI10.1073/pnas.2123056119