membrane-transport
Membrane transport encompasses the mechanisms by which ions, nutrients, and small molecules move across the selectively permeable lipid bilayers of cells, mediated by specialized channels, carriers, and pumps embedded in the membrane. In plants, this process is essential for nutrient uptake from soil, distribution of sugars and minerals between tissues, and maintenance of cellular ion balance under stress conditions like drought or salinity. Understanding these transport systems helps researchers uncover how plants regulate growth, respond to environmental challenges, and achieve efficient resource allocation.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-06-29
Computer simulations show that brassinolide, a plant growth hormone structurally similar to animal cholesterol, crosses the plasma membrane via a thermodynamically distinct route compared to common plant sterols. The findings clarify how these hormones reach the protein pumps that export them from the cell, advancing understanding of a process essential to plant development.
All-atom molecular dynamics simulations revealed thermodynamic differences between brassinolide and β-sitosterol passive transport across an asymmetric plant plasma membrane.
The simulations identified a specific diffusion pathway by which brassinolide becomes exposed to the entry sites of the ABCB1 and ABCB19 transporter proteins.
Brassinolide distributes asymmetrically between the disordered inner membrane leaflet and the tightly packed, sphingolipid-rich outer leaflet, a pattern distinct from β-sitosterol.