Literature / Library / Plasma membrane
Plasma membrane
Two leaflets that are not the same, over an actin meshwork that divides the surface into compartments.
12 pictures and 7 papers. Its organelle page: Plasma membrane.
Gallery
Ultrastructural analysis of VAC exocytosis and lateral lumen formation. A Principle of APEX2-TEM labeling. A brief (2-5 min) incubation of fixed cells with diaminobenzidine (DAB) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) results in the deposition of a DAB polymer that upon binding to OsO4 produces an electron-dense stain. B APEX2 TEM labeling of Pals1-A2E at different time points of the calcium switch assay. White arrowheads indicate small vesicles close to VACs, black arrowheads indicate enhanced contrast of microvilli inside the VACs produced by APEX2 labeling. LM = lateral membrane. C Serial section TEM of a VAC fusion event with the lateral membrane.
Ghosh, Martin, Chen et al 2026, Nature Communications · CC BY 4.0
Local Rac activation stimulates long-range RhoA activation at the opposite side of the cell. a , Confocal image and associated line-scan of a migrating neutrophil-like HL-60 cell expressing the polarity biosensors for Rac (Pak-PBD) and Rho (AnillinRBD). In migrating cells, Rac and Rho localize to the protruding cell front and contracting cell back, respectively. Here we sought to investigate how Rac and Rho are appropriately positioned at the opposite poles of a migrating cell.
De Belly, Gallan, Strickland et al 2026, Nature Cell Biology · CC BY 4.0
Long-range mutual activation establishes robust Rho and Rac polarity during primary T cell migration. a , Confocal image of a migrating human primary T cell expressing the polarity biosensors for Rac (PAK-PBD) and Rho (AnillinRBD). Activating either Rho or Rac leads to a robust establishment of polarity and that Rho and Rac both mutually reinforce each other at a distance. b , Primary human T cell
De Belly, Gallan, Strickland et al 2026, Nature Cell Biology · CC BY 4.0
Effects of CPE on tight junction localization of colonic tissues from DSS-induced colitis mice. A Immunofluorescence images of ZO-1 localization. ZO-1 localization at the apical junction region was predominantly disrupted in DSS-induced mice compared to normal and CPE treatment fully recovered its localization. B Immunofluorescence images of occludin localization. In DSS-fed mice, it was found tha
Arinno, Sukmak, Treveeravoot et al 2026, Biological Research · CC BY 4.0
GLUT1 expression and localization upon WIPI2 knockdown. (A) GLUT1 cell surface exposure. Control and WIPI2KD cells were fixed and stained with antibody against GLUT1 and with DAPI. Where indicated, cells had been permeabilized with 0.05% saponin before staining to reduce plasma membrane staining and provide better access to GLUT1 inside the cell. Scale bars: 10 um.
De Leo, Mayer, Bottanelli et al 2026, eLife · CC BY 4.0
Changes in PKA activity affect caveolin-dependent membrane translocation of MCT1 in podocytes. (A) Immunofluorescent co-staining of MCT1 and Rab5a in podocytes. (B) Immunofluorescent staining of MCT1 and caveolin-1 in podocytes. r--Pearson's correlation coefficient; M1, M2--Manders' overlap coefficients. Cells were treated with 8-bromo-cAMP (100 uM, 5 min), H2O2 (100 uM, 5 min), H89 (10 µM, 1 h), or H2O2 + H89. Scale bar is 50 µm.
Grochowalska, Szrejder, Audzeyenka et al 2026, International Journal of Molecular Sciences · CC BY 4.0
Clathrin assemblies (purple) within the actin-rich cortical network of a neuron's somatodendritic plasma membrane, by platinum replica EM (PREM). One panel cropped from a figure comparing clathrin organization across three neuronal membrane compartments. Scale bar 200 nm.
Benoist, Vassilopoulos 2026, Traffic (Copenhagen, Denmark) · CC BY 4.0
In situ cryo-electron tomography of microvilli on a mouse intestinal epithelial cell, cross-section showing actin bundles in the core and protein densities on the membrane surface, boxed regions magnified elsewhere in the source figure. Scale bar 100 nm.
Liu, Tang, Wang et al 2026, Biophysics Reports · CC BY 4.0
Basal cell membrane of an endothelial cell in a sea snake's peripheral spectacle by TEM, with regularly spaced areas of reduced electron density (asterisks) against the basement membrane. Scale bar 0.1 um.
Collin, Liu, Wilson et al 2026, Journal of Morphology · CC BY 4.0
An isolated HSC-3 cell basal plasma membrane on an R2/1 Quantifoil grid, imaged by platinum replica electron microscopy. The inset shows an enlarged view of the white dashed square area. Structural classes of clathrin are color-coded. (human (HSC-3 cells); Fig. 2b.)
Sun, Michalak, Sochacki et al 2025, Nature Communications · CC BY 4.0
Vascular (sinusoid) side of a hepatocyte (H) in camel liver. V--hepatocyte villi; M--mitochondria; GER--granular endoplasmic reticulum channels; LD--lipid droplet; EP--endothelial cell processes; endothelial cell pores (↑); perisinusoidal space of Disse (↑↑); SL--sinusoid lumen. Electron microphotography. (Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus, liver hepatocyte); Figure 4single.)
Musina, Lebedeva, Drozdova et al 2025, Animals · CC BY 4.0
Overview of caveolae at the plasma membrane in various cell types. (a) Representative platinum replica transmission electron microscopy (PREM) images of plasma membrane sheets of different cell types. The images are presented in an inverted scale. Orange arrows indicate individual caveolae. (b) Caveolae number and diameter were measured in all cell types (n(fibroblasts) = 26, n(adipocytes) = 22, n(myoblasts) = 22, n(astrocytes) = 17, n(endothelial cells) = 21, n(HeLa) = 19; diameter: n(fibroblasts, MEFs) = 82, n(adipocytes) = 95, n(myoblasts) = 83, n(astrocytes) = 64, n(endothelial cells, HUVEC) = 70, n(HeLa) = 118, 2 independent experiments). Box plots represent median values, bounds of box represent ± SE, whiskers show SD, each replicate is depicted. (c) Number of single coat stripes per caveolae (MEF, n = 79), and stripe length in nm (n = 162) of single coat stripes. (d, e) Identification of cavin1 (d) or caveolin1 (e) in PREM of MEFs. His-Cavin1-EGFP was expressed in MEFs and 10 nm Ni-NTA nanogold was used to label His tags. Caveolin1 was investigated by immunolabeling and 12 nm gold secondary antibody. Yellow arrows indicate gold particles (2 independent experiments). (human (HUVEC endothelial cells and HeLa cells in panels a–b; panels d–e use MEFs); Figure 1, full figure (panels a–e).)
Matthaeus et al. 2022, Nature Communications · CC BY 4.0
Papers
- Vázquez-Sarandeses E, Mikirtumov V, Noel JK, Kudryashev M, Daumke O. Structures of EHD2 filaments on curved membranes provide a model for caveolar neck stabilization. Nat Commun. 2026;17:7621. PMID: 42538327.
- Lamaze C, Blouin CM, Sens P. Caveolae mechanics in cellular functions and disease. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2026;27:581-600. PMID: 42230980.
- Getachew B, Miller MR, Landis HE, Miller RE, Tizabi Y. Role of Caveolin-1 in Inflammation: Genetic Predisposition and Potential Implication for Multiple Sclerosis. Genes (Basel). 2026;17:593. PMID: 42195050.
- Musina L, Lebedeva A, Drozdova L, Prusakov A, Ponamarev V. Features of the Liver Microstructural Organization of the Bactrian Camel. Animals (Basel). 2025;15:2921. PMID: 41096516.
- Gwozdzinski L, Pieniazek A, Gwozdzinski K. The Effect of Escin on the Plasma Membrane of Human Red Blood Cells. Int J Mol Sci. 2025;26:8923. PMID: 41009489.
- Sun WW, Michalak DJ, Sochacki KA, Kunamaneni P, Alfonzo-Méndez MA, Arnold AM, et al. Cryo-electron tomography pipeline for plasma membranes. Nat Commun. 2025;16:855. PMID: 39833141.
- Matthaeus C, Sochacki KA, Dickey AM, Puchkov D, Haucke V, Lehmann M, et al. The molecular organization of differentially curved caveolae indicates bendable structural units at the plasma membrane. Nat Commun. 2022;13:7234. PMID: 36433988.