Membrane tension: A challenging but universal physical parameter in cell biology
Abstract
The plasma membrane separates the interior of cells from the outside environment. The membrane tension, defined as the force per unit length acting on a cross-section of membrane, regulates many vital biological processes. In this review, we summarize the first historical findings and the latest advances, showing membrane tension as an important physical parameter in cell biology. We also discuss how this parameter must be better integrated and we propose experimental approaches for key unanswered questions.
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In all conditions, no axonal breakage was observed after 10 min of exposure, suggesting short-term hypotonic exposure does not cause gross axonal morphological disruption under the conditions tested.
“In all conditions, no axonal breakage was observed after 10 min of exposure, suggesting that short-term hypotonic exposure does not cause gross axonal morphological disruption under the conditions tested35–37.”
From Ghost Neuron preparation unlocks high-resolution structural mapping of intracellular architecture in axons (2026) · cites this paper as [37]
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Shi, Z., Graber, Z. T., Baumgart, T., Stone, H. A., & Cohen, A. E. (2018) · Cell · doi:10.1016/j.cell.2018.09.054 · Cited by 355 · see citing works
Bodakuntla, S., Marelli, J., Vasquez-Montes, V., Glauser, S., Biertümpfel, C., & Mizuno, N. (2026) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77741-4
- Authors
- Pontes, B., Monzo, P., & Gauthier, N. C.
- Affiliations
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
- IFOM (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Pontes, Bruno
- Gauthier, Nils C.
- Venue
- Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-11
- Volume
- 71
- Pages
- 30-41
- ISSN
- 1084-9521 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2750129063
- Cited by
- 176
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 1.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Cellular Mechanics and Interactions
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Caveolin-1 and cellular processes
- Keywords
- membrane tension, plasma membrane, membrane mechanics, membrane deformation
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Cell Membrane, Cell Physiological Phenomena, Homeostasis, Humans, Lipid Bilayers, Osmotic Pressure
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