title: Cell surface organization by the membrane skeleton.
abstract: Single-particle tracking and laser tweezers have facilitated the observation of the mechanics of molecular interactions in the plasma membrane of living cells at the level of single (or a few) molecules at nanometer/piconewton precision. These techniques have recently revealed that the membrane skeleton provides both confining and binding effects on the movement of membrane proteins, and that it can play a pivotal role in the molecular organization of the plasma membrane, especially in the formation of special membrane domains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba 3-8-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153, Japan. akusumi@kusumib.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kusumi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sako
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002451:Cell Compartmentation; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003584:Cytological Techniques; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology*; D004058:Diffusion; D004548:Elasticity; D007834:Lasers; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009038:Motion
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins