Transfer of phospholipids between membrane

Abstract

A variety of techniques, both biochemical and physical, have shed light upon the structure of biological membranes. A consensus of opinion has developed by which the membrane is thought to consist of a phospholipid bilayer interspersed with proteins. Excellent reviews on this subject have recently been published. It is interesting to note that the current membrane model accentuates the fluidity of the membrane. Phospholipids undergo a rapid lateral diffusion within the two monolayers of the bilayer. Membrane proteins are also thought to diffuse freely in the lipid matrix. Which phospholipids and proteins in the membrane are in this state of motion, and how the movement of phospholipids and proteins is interrelated, are the subjects of intensive research.