FLUID MOSAIC MODEL

GROUP 7 (61-70):

1. Nivethaa E
2. Oviya T
3. Pradeesh K
4. Pramod Vaidya S K
5. Priya P
6. Priyanka Raja Siddharthan
7. Raghavi R
8. Raghul K
9. Rajapriya E
10. Rakshitha S
It was described by Singer and Nicolson in 1972.

SALIENT FEATURES:
1. Cell membrane consists of a double-layer of phospholipid that contains protein molecules.

2. The model is called fluid mosaic model as the membrane lipids are present in the fluid
form that allows the flexibility of the membrane without disturbing the structural integrity.

3. The membrane proteins are loosely attached and float in the fluid phospholipid bilayer.
Rapid and random redistribution of integral proteins occurs in the membrane.

STRUCTURE OF A CELL MEMBRANE

4. Also, phospholipids undergo rapid redistribution in the plane of the membrane.

5. This type of diffusion within the plane of the membrane is called translational diffusion.
This occurs rapidly for phospholipids, which can move several micrometres per second.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO FLUIDITY OF MEMBRANE:

The fluidity of the membrane is mainly dependent on the temperature and lipid composition
of the membrane.

EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE: When temperature increases, the hydrophobic side chains

undergo a transition from its ordered gel or crystalline state to a more disordered liquid
state.

LIPID COMPOSITION OF MEMBRANE: Fluidity is largely dependent on lipid composition.

Phospholipids in membrane generally contain at least one unsaturated fatty acid with cis
bond. With rise in temperature, the unsaturated bond among fatty acid side chains lose their
orderly stiff arrangement. In addition to this, their cis-configuration decreases its
compactness and become more disordered. Thus, rise in temperature increases fluidity.
Similarly, when length of fatty acid molecule increases it increases the chance of
intermolecular interaction and adds to the rigidity.

Thus, with increase in degree of unsaturation, increase in fatty acid length, and increase in
phospholipid content (containing unsaturated fatty acid in cis-configuration) membrane
fluidity increases.

ROLE OF CHOLESTEROL: Though cholesterol profoundly influences membrane fluidity, it

behaves differently at different temperature. It is rather a bulky molecule placed among
phospholipid bilayer.

At increased temperature: With rise in temperature, phospholipid molecules gain kinetic

energy and start moving apart. This leads to membrane to start melting, but the presence of
bulky cholesterol molecule pulls the fatty acids together thus decreasing fluidity. Thus, at
increased temperature, cholesterol decreases fluidity of membrane.

At decreased temperature: When temperature goes down, fatty acids of phospholipid lose
energy and come very close to each other. This leads to decreased intermolecular
interaction which makes the membrane more compact, but the presence of same bulky
cholesterol prevents this close interaction thus increasing fluidity. Thus, at decreased
temperature, cholesterol increases membrane fluidity.

Thus, cholesterol behaves like a buffer and tries to oppose the effects of fatty acids on
fluidity, thereby tries to preserve the membrane integrity within the range. Hence, the
cholesterol- phospholipid ratio is the important factor for membrane integrity which in turn
is linked to various functions in the cell.
LIPID BILAYER:
The major lipids in the cell membrane are phospholipids, glycolipids, and cholesterol.

1. The phospholipids are phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, phosphatidylserine, and

phosphatidyl ethanolamine.

2. Glycolipids are generally found in the outer layer. Lipids are amphipathic ("amphi" means
both) molecules as their head or polar region is hydrophilic and tail or nonpolar region is
hydrophobic. The globular or the head end contains phosphate or hydroxyl moieties that are
positively charged and soluble in water. The tail end contains two chains of fatty acids that
are insoluble in water. The arrangement is such that the hydrophobic tail ends are directed
toward the centre and the hydrophilic head is located to periphery of the membrane. Thus,
hydrophilic head of lipid molecules faces the aqueous phase from both inside and outside
the cell. A similar bilayer arrangement is found in bile salts where they form spherical
micelles.

3. Cholesterol is incorporated into the hydrophobic regions of the membrane, and serves to
reinforce the lipid permeability barrier.

The individual phospholipid molecules can move freely within the specific layer (but not
from one layer to another). Hence, the cell membrane is said to be fluid in nature.

Determinant of the fluidity of membrane: The fluidity of a membrane depends on the

composition of lipids and the degree of unsaturation. The major determinant is its
cholesterol-phospholipid ratio. Cholesterol at decreased temperature increases the fluidity
of the membrane.

FUNCTIONS OF THE LIPID BILAYER:

The main function of the lipid bilayer of a cell membrane is to create a permeability barrier
between the interstitial fluid and the cytoplasm. The permeability of a substance depends
on whether it is lipid- soluble or water-soluble. Lipid soluble substances like oxygen and
alcohol can pass easily through the cell membrane. Water soluble substances like urea and
glucose cannot pass easily.
Thus, lipid bilayer makes the membrane semipermeable.

AMPHIPATHIC NATURE OF MEMBRANE

MEMBRANE PROTEINS:

Membrane proteins are of two types: integral proteins and peripheral proteins.

INTEGRAL PROTEINS: Some membrane proteins that span the entire thickness of the
membrane are known as integral proteins. They are also called transmembrane proteins.
Some integral proteins penetrate only a portion of the membrane (Fig. 4.4), so that they are
exposed either to the external environment of the cell (interstitial fluid) or to the
cytoplasmic surface of the membrane (intracellular fluid). Some membrane proteins also
move laterally within the membrane (e.g. membrane receptors can move to sites of
endocytosis).

The functions of integral membrane proteins are as follows:

1. Serve as channel proteins: Channels or pores are integral proteins through which water-
soluble substances like glucose and electrolytes can diffuse across the cell membrane.

2. Act as carriers: Carrier proteins transport substances through cell membrane by facilitated
diffusion; for example, the transport of glucose through glucose transporter.

3. Serve as ion pumps: Membrane proteins serve as pumps for active transport of ions across
the membrane; for example, the Na+ -K+ ATPase that pumps K+ into the cell and Nat out of
the cell against their concentration gradient.

4. Serve as receptor and enzyme proteins: Integral proteins that are present toward the outer
half of the membrane usually serve as receptors and usually those on the inner half serve as
enzymes. Membrane G proteins belong to this category of proteins.

5. Antigenic functions: Complex membrane proteins such as glycoproteins act as antigens on

the surface of the cell; for example, the blood group antigens in the membrane of red cells.

PERIPHERAL PROTEINS: Some protein molecules are inserted lightly in the outer or inner
border of the membrane or are just bound to the surface of the membrane. Such proteins
are called peripheral proteins.

They are of two types: Intrinsic and extrinsic proteins.

1. Intrinsic proteins: They are present on the inner surface of the membrane. They usually
serve as enzymes or anchor proteins for cytoskeleton and other microfilaments that
maintain cell shape.

2. Extrinsic proteins: They are present on the outer surface of the membrane. They serve as
cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) for anchoring cells with basal lamina and with neighbouring
cells. They can be removed without disrupting the membrane.
 ARRANGEMENT OF PROTEINS IN THE MEMBRANE

MEMBRANE CARBOHYDRATES:
The external surface of the cell membrane is loosely covered by a carbohydrate layer known
as the cell coat or glycocalyx.

FUNCTIONS OF THE GLYCOCALYX:

1. Glycocalyx serves as a protective coat. Carbohydrate is negatively charged and therefore

prevents negative particles like protein molecules to interact between cells.

2. Some of the transmembrane glycoproteins like selectins recognize and bind with specific
oligosaccharides on other cell membranes, and therefore, permit temporary cell-to- cell
adhesion. Such temporary adhesion occurs between neutrophils and endothelial cells at the
site of inflammation. Stronger adhesion between cells is formed by integral membrane
proteins such as integrins.

3. Some carbohydrate molecules serve as receptors.

FUNCTIONS OF CELL MEMBRANE:

1. Cell membrane maintains a constant and distinctive intracellular environment, which is
essential for functioning of the organelles. For example, the intracellular fluid has lower
concentration of sodium and chloride, low pH, but higher concentration of potassium,
organic phosphates, and magnesium.
2. Cell membrane maintains cell volume by actively transferring ions across it, especially by
pumping sodium ions out of the cell.

3. In neurons and muscle cells, it maintains a potential difference between intracellular and
extracellular surfaces, which enables cells to respond to various stimuli.

4. Cell membrane helps in recognizing foreign cells or antigens so that they can be destroyed
by phagocytes.

STRUCTURE OF RED CELL MEMBRANE

SPECIAL FEATURES OF RBC MEMBRANE:

The red cell membrane is most extensively studied membrane. In addition to the general
features of membrane described above, red cell membrane contains some special proteins
such as integral and peripheral proteins.

INTEGRAL PROTEINS:

Two special types of integral proteins are found in red cell membrane. These are
glycophorins and band-3 proteins.

Glycophorins: Glycophorins are glycoproteins that contain 60% carbohydrate and 40%
protein. The carbohydrate component is oligosaccharide and the polypeptide component
contains 131 amino acids. Oligosaccharides of glycophorins serve as antigen for MN blood
group.
Band-3 proteins: Band-3 protein is a dimeric protein with molecular weight 93,000 that
traverses membrane about 12 times. It acts as "pore" or transport protein that exchanges
bicarbonate ions in the capillaries of lungs.

PERIPHERAL PROTEINS:

The inner surface of red cell membrane contains two special proteins that are linked to the
cytoskeleton and are essential for stabilization of membrane and biconcave shape of the cell.
These are spectrin and ankyrin.

Spectrin: Spectrin is a fibrous protein that contains an a-chain with molecular weight of
240,000 and a B-chain with molecular weight of 220,000. Along with ankyrin, it is attached
to cytoskeletal protein that maintains membrane integrity and cell shape.

Ankyrin: The cytoskeletal proteins are attached to spectrin through ankyrin. Ankyrin has
molecular weight of 200,000. It has two domains: one bind with spectrin and other with N-
terminal region of band-3 protein that extends into cytoskeleton.

Diseases due to membrane protein defects: Disorders of red cells such as hereditary
spherocytosis and elliptocytosis occur due to defects in the membrane proteins.