We propose a realistic mechanism accounting for the existence of sub-micrometric protein domains in cell membranes. At the biological level, such membrane domains have been demonstrated to be specialized, in that sense that they congregate one or a few protein species amongst the hundreds of different species that a cell membrane may contain , in order to perform a determined biological task . By analyzing the balance between mixing entropy and protein affinities, we elucidate by statistical mechanics arguments how such protein sorting in distinct domains can be explained without appealing to pre-existing lipidic micro-phase separations, as in the lipid raft scenario. At equilibrium, it is preferable to co-localize certain proteins because the ensuing energetic gain is larger than the concomitant entropic cost. This alternative mechanism is discussed to be compatible with known physical interactions between membrane proteins  .
We discuss a realistic scenario, accounting for the existence of sub-micrometric protein domains in cell membranes. At the biological level, such membrane domains have been shown to be specialized, in order to perform a determined biological task, in the sense that they gather one or a few protein species out of the hundreds of different ones that a cell membrane may contain . By analyzing the balance between mixing entropy and protein affinities, we propose that such protein sorting in distinct domains can be explained without appealing to pre-existing lipidic micro-phase separations, as in the lipid raft scenario. We show that the proposed scenario is compatible with known physical interactions between membrane proteins , even if thousands of different species coexist .
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discuss a realistic scenario,
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elucidate by statistical mechanics arguments how
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At equilibrium, it is preferable to co-localize certain proteins because the ensuing energetic gain is larger than the concomitant entropic cost. This alternative mechanism is discussed to be
We show that the proposed scenario is
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, even if thousands of different species coexist