The classical approach to understanding the closeness of approach of two membranes has developed from consideration of the net effect of an attractive van der Waals force and a repulsive electrostatic force. The repulsive role of hydration forces and stereorepulsion glycocalyx forces have been recently recognized and an analysis of the effect of crosslinking molecules has been developed. Implicit in these approaches is the idea of an intercellular water layer of uniform thickness which narrows but retains a uniform thickness as the cells move towards an equilibrium separation distance. Most recently an attempt has been made to develop a physical chemical approach to contact which accommodates the widespread occurrence of localized spatially separated point contacts between interacting cells and membranes. It is based on ideas drawn from analysis of the conditions required to destabilize thin liquid films so that thickness fluctuations develop spontaneously and grow as interfacial instabilities to give spatially periodic contact. Examples of plasma membrane behaviour which are consistent with the interfacial instability approach are discussed and experiments involving polycation, polyethylene glycol, dextran and lectin adhesion and agglutination of erythrocytes are reviewed.
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Review Article|
December 01 1989
Membrane-Membrane contact: Involvement of interfacial instability in the generation of discrete contacts
W. T. Coakley;
W. T. Coakley
1School of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Wales College of Cardiff, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF1 3TL, UK
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D. Gallez
D. Gallez
2Service Chimie Physique, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Campus Plaine, Boulevard du Tiomphe, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgique
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
April 19 1989
Online ISSN: 1573-4935
Print ISSN: 0144-8463
© 1989 Plenum Publishing Corporation
1989
Biosci Rep (1989) 9 (6): 675–691.
Article history
Received:
April 19 1989
Citation
W. T. Coakley, D. Gallez; Membrane-Membrane contact: Involvement of interfacial instability in the generation of discrete contacts. Biosci Rep 1 December 1989; 9 (6): 675–691. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01114806
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