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Hierarchical organization of the plasma membrane: Investigations by single‐molecule tracking vs. fluorescence correlation spectroscopy
Author(s) -
Kusumi Akihiro,
Shirai Yuki M.,
Koyama-Honda Ikuko,
Suzuki Kenichi G.N.,
Fujiwara Takahiro K.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2010.02.047
Subject(s) - membrane , fluorescence correlation spectroscopy , plasma , chemistry , fluorescence , fluorescence spectroscopy , biophysics , molecule , spectroscopy , tracking (education) , diffusion , biochemistry , biology , physics , optics , psychology , pedagogy , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
Single‐molecule tracking and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) applied to the plasma membrane in living cells have allowed a number of unprecedented observations, thus fostering a new basic understanding of molecular diffusion, interaction, and signal transduction in the plasma membrane. It is becoming clear that the plasma membrane is a heterogeneous entity, containing diverse structures on nano‐meso‐scales (2–200 nm) with a variety of lifetimes, where certain membrane molecules stay together for limited durations. Molecular interactions occur in the time‐dependent inhomogeneous two‐dimensional liquid of the plasma membrane, which might be a key for plasma membrane functions.