Protein–membrane interactions: sensing and generating curvature.

Advances in quantitative biophysical techniques have allowed researchers to probe deeply into the mechanisms behind complex membrane remodeling phenomena. Despite their lack of structure, intrinsically disordered proteins have become widely recognized for their various biophysical functions over the past several years. These functions include membrane curvature sensing and membrane bending. The combination of nanofabricated substrates and live-cell systems has created a new avenue for biomimetic research that will vastly expand our ability to study protein interactions with curved membranes. Biological membranes are integral cellular structures that can be curved into various geometries. These curved structures are abundant in cells as they are essential for various physiological processes. However, curved membranes are inherently unstable, especially on nanometer length scales. To stabilize curved membranes, cells can utilize proteins that sense and generate membrane curvature. In this review, we summarize recent research that has advanced our understanding of interactions between proteins and curved membrane surfaces, as well as work that has expanded our ability to study curvature sensing and generation. Additionally, we look at specific examples of cellular processes that require membrane curvature, such as neurotransmission, clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), and organelle biogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]