Motor proteins and membrane dynamics

Membranes composed of a lipid bilayer define the outer surface of nucleated cells (the plasma membrane) and delimit the vital organelles within these cells, such as mitochondria and nuclei. The membrane curvature determines the three-dimensional form of these structures, and is therefore a key factor in their respective functions. Furthermore, the ability to actively deform membranes is indispensable for many cellular processes. Using a combination of experimental and theoretical approaches, LMU research groups led by Prof. Claudia Veigel (Biomedical Center) and Prof. Erwin Frey (Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics), who are also members of the Munich Center for Nanoscience (CeNS), have now demonstrated that proteins called molecular motors are directly involved in the control of membrane deformation. The new findings appear in the online journal Nature Communications.