Mobility of cell surface receptors: a re-evaluation.
It has long been known from fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments that the mobility of most cell surface receptors is much smaller than expected for free diffusion of proteins in a fluid lipid bilayer. Single-particle tracking experiments are currently revealing the complexity of the constraints to free diffusion. Evidence has been obtained for several different processes: domain-limited diffusion, temporary confinement and anomalous diffusion. The type of motion exhibited by a given receptor will profoundly influence the rate of any functional process which requires movement in the plane of the membrane. In particular, anomalous diffusion greatly reduces the distance travelled by a receptor on a time scale of minutes.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Central Campus, Colchester, UK. cherr@essex.ac.uk
R J
RJ
Cherry
P R
PR
Smith
I E
IE
Morrison
N
N
Fernandez
D004058:Diffusion; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface