by Frank Harold
Does anyone know of a solid example of a biological membrane that arises de novo, rather than by the extension of a pre-existing membrane?
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I don’t know the origin of the membranes which eventually form the vaccinia (or other poxvirus) envelope, but it would be interesting to take a look at this.
Ken Berns
Posted by: elio | January 08, 2010 at 09:07 AM
Let me see if I understand the Question correctly: Are you suggesting, Talmudically, that perhaps every closed membrane found in the totality of modern cells amounts to a pinched-off fragment of a single ur-membrane, continuously grown lipid-by-lipid, that formed billions of years ago?
If so, we might see genes and other cellular machinery as a way that The Membrane has discovered to help extend itself.
Posted by: Nathan Myers | January 07, 2010 at 02:02 PM
How small do the bits of Golgi membrane get during mitosis? Obviously not de novo, but in the right direction at least.
Posted by: Jeff Mahr | January 07, 2010 at 12:17 PM