title: Mechanics of lipid bilayers: What do we learn from pore-spanning membranes?
abstract: The mechanical properties of biological membranes have become increasingly important not only from a biophysical viewpoint but also as they play a substantial role in the information transfer in cells and tissues. This minireview summarizes some of our recent understanding of the mechanical properties of artificial model membranes with particular emphasis on membranes suspending an array of pores, so called pore-spanning membranes. A theoretical description of the mechanical properties of these membranes might pave the way to biophysically describe and understand the complex behavior of native biological membranes. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Mechanobiology.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Göttingen, Tammannstr. 2, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Göttingen, Tammannstr. 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Janshoff
authors.affiliation: Institute of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Göttingen, Tammannstr. 2, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Göttingen, Tammannstr. 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany. Electronic address: csteine@gwdg.de.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Steinem
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008563:Membrane Lipids
keywords: Atomic force microscopy; Cell membrane fragments; GUVs; Model membranes; Pore-spanning membranes; Solid supported membranes