Biological membranes play a central role in cell structure, shape and functions. However, investigating the membrane bilayer has proved to be difficult due to its highly dynamic and anisotropic structure, which generates steep gradients at the nanometer scale. Due to the decisive impact of recently developed fluorescence-based techniques, tremendous advances have been made in the last few years in our understanding of membrane characteristics and functions. In this context, the present book illustrates some of these major advances by collecting review articles written by highly respected experts. The book is organized in three parts, the first of which deals with membrane probes and model membranes. The second part describes the use of advanced quantitative and high-resolution techniques to explore the properties of biological membranes, illustrating the key progress made regarding membrane organization, dynamics and interactions. The third part is focused on the investigation of membrane proteins using the same techniques, and notably on the membrane receptors that play a central role in signaling pathways and therapeutic strategies. All chapters provide comprehensive information on membranes and their exploration for beginners in the field and advanced researchers alike.

Contenu

Laurdan Fluorescence Properties in Membranes : A Journey from the Fluorimeter to the Microscope.- Application of NBD-labeled Lipids in Membrane and Cell Biology.- 3-Hydroxychromone Probes Precisely Located and Oriented in Lipid Bilayers: a Toolkit for Biomembrane Research.- Lateral Membrane Heterogeneity Probed by FRET Spectroscopy and Microscopy.- FRET Analysis of Protein-Lipid Interactions.- Hydration and Mobility in Lipid Bilayers Probed by Time-Dependent Fluorescence Shifts.- Visual Discrimination of Membrane Domains in Live Cells by Wide-Field Microscopy.- Quantitative Fluorescence Studies of Intracellular Sterol Transport and Distribution.- Studying Membrane Properties Using Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM).- Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy to Study Membrane Organization and Interactions.- Deciphering Cell Membrane Organization Based on Lateral Diffusion Measurements by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy at Different Length Scales.- STED-FCS Nanoscopy of Membrane Dynamicsl.- Imaging Molecular Order in Cell Membranes by Polarization Resolved Fluorescence Microscopy.- Near-Field Optical Nanoscopy of Biological Membranes.- Unveiling Biophysical and Biological Properties of a Hypothetical Membrane Receptor by Exploiting Recent Imaging Advances.- New Fluorescent Strategies Shine Light on the Evolving Concept of GCPR Oligomerization.- Application of Quantitative Fluorescence Microscopic Approaches to Monitor Organization and Dymamics of the Serotonin1A Receptor.- TNF Receptor Membrane Dynamics Studied with Fluorescence Microscopy and Spectroscopy.- HIV-1 Gag Directed Assembly of Retroviral Particles Investigated by Quantitative Fluorescence Imaging.