Lipids, membranes, colloids and cells: A long view

BAGATOLLI, LUIS A.; STOCK, ROBERTO P.

BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2021 vol. 1863

0005-2736

his paper revisits long-standing ideas about biological membranes in the context of an equally long-standing, but hitherto largely unappreciated, perspective of the cell based on concepts derived from the physics and chemistry of colloids. Specifically, we discuss important biophysical aspects of lipid supramolecular structure to understand how the intracellular milieu may constrain lipid self-assembly. To this end we will develop four lines of thought: first, we will look at the historical development of the current view of cellular structure and physiology, considering also the plurality of approaches that influenced its formative period. Second, we will review recent basic research on the structural and dynamical properties of lipid aggregates as well as the role of phase transitions in biophysical chemistry and cell biology. Third, we will present a general overview of contemporary studies into cellular compartmentalization in the context of a very rich and mostly forgotten genera