Decoding the mechanisms behind the assembly of BAR proteins that dictate cell curvature

Cell membranes play a critical role by serving as containment units and separating the inner cellular space from the extracellular environment. Proteins with distinct functional units play a key role in facilitating protein-membrane interactions. For instance, Bin-Amphiphysin-Rvs (BAR) domain proteins are involved in regulating cell membrane curvature. This physical bending of cell membranes helps cells carry out various biologically important processes such as endocytosis and cell motility. Although BAR proteins drive membrane curvature by assembling into highly ordered oligomeric units, the underlying mechanism regulating this phenomenon remains largely unknown.