Cholesterol Depletion by MβCD Enhances Cell Membrane Tension and Its Variations-Reducing Integrity

Cholesterol is a molecule that is necessary for maintaining the structure of cell membranes and for producing steroid hormones and vitamin D.

Removing cholesterol from the outer membrane of human cells using methyl-β-cyclodextrin increases membrane tension and unevenness, making the membranes more likely to break when exposed to low-salt conditions, regardless of the cell's internal skeleton.

Removing cholesterol from human cell membranes using methyl-β-cyclodextrin causes larger tears in the membrane when cells are exposed to low-salt conditions, showing that cholesterol directly limits how much the membrane can stretch before rupturing, regardless of the internal skeleton.

Removing cholesterol from cell membranes using methyl-β-cyclodextrin makes membranes more likely to rupture and increases their tension, and this effect occurs even when the internal actin filaments are chemically disabled.

Removing cholesterol from human cell membranes using methyl-β-cyclodextrin creates uneven tension and irregular shape changes across the membrane, leading to specific weak spots that are more likely to rupture under osmotic pressure, even when the overall average tension remains unchanged.

Removing cholesterol from the membranes of human HeLa and CHO-K1 cells using methyl-β-cyclodextrin increases membrane tension, and this effect occurs without requiring cellular energy, showing it results directly from physical changes due to cholesterol removal.