This book examines in depth the theory, instrumental innova tions, potential applications and limitations of the different techniques -- NMR, EPR, DSC, spectrofluorimetry, and electron microscopy -- that are being used to investigate the function and structure of biological membranes and their model systems. Pro viding an overview of the present status of research, this book gives evidence of the complementary nature of information generated by different techniques, reminding one of the necessity to create a common language and viewpoint of membranes. F. Conti W. E. Blumberg J. De Gier F. Pocchiari v CONTENTS Physical methods on biological membranes and their model system: A perspective . . . 1 F. Conti, J. de Gier and W. E. Blumberg High resolution NMR spectroQcopy in liquids and solids 5 T. Axenrod Basic principles of deuterium and phosphorus-31-magnetic resonance 27 J. Seelig Use of electron spin resonance to study complex biological membranes . . . . . 39 H. M. Swartz Freeze-etching electron microscopy: recent developments and application to the study of biological membranes and their components. . . . 55 T. Gu1ik-Krzywicki The nature of intramembraneous particles . 73 A. J. Verk1eij Lateral and polymorphic phase transitions in relation to the barrier function of a lipid membrane. . 81 J. de Gier, C. J. A. van Echte1d, J. A.

Inhalt
Physical methods on biological membranes and their model system: A perspective.- High resolution NMR spectroscopy in liquids and solids.- Basic principles of deuterium and phosphorus-31-magnetic resonance.- Use of electron spin resonance to study complex biological membranes.- Freeze-etching electron microscopy: recent developments and application to the study of biological membranes and their components.- The nature of intramembraneous particles.- Lateral and polymorphic phase transitions in relation to the barrier function of a lipid membrane.- Fluorescence energy transfer as a structural probe in membranes and membrane in bound proteins.- The interaction of intrinsic proteins and lipids in biomembranes.- Conformational studies of membrane proteins by high resolution NMR.- Water organization in reversed micelles.- Lipid-protein interactions: from crystalline lipoproteins to intact membranes.- Membrane fusion and lipid polymorphism.- Control of membrane fusion by divalent cations, phospholipid head-groups and proteins.- Correlation between steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy data.- Membrane lipid fluidity at a physiologically relevant scale: determination by fluorescence polarization.- Dynamic interaction of fluorescently labeled adenosine deaminase in intact human erythrocytes: relation to abnormal activity in malignant cells.- Phase separation in phospholipid mixtures by fluorescence anisotropy.- Membrane fluidity and lipid composition.- Membrane fluidity and membrane activities.- Membrane fluorescence anisotropy behaviour during cell cycle..- Stable biomembrane surfaces formed by phospholipids polymers.- Utilizing mast cells and basophils to study lipoxygenase involvement in membrane activation.- Immunoglobulin surface adsorption studied by totalinternal reflection with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.- Enthalpy state of different liposome preparations of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine and their stability in the presence of a complex forming protein.- Free-flow electrophoresis as a suitable tool to explore intervesicular interactions.- Solid Atate 19F NMR in Model membrane systems.- Organized cultures of nerve tissues: a novel model system for studies of lipid protein interaction on the functional level.- Partition of proteins between water and non-polar phases.- Photomodification of Biomembranes.