ABSTRACT
Cellular membranes compartmentalize biochemical reactions, yet at the same time they facilitate communication between the compartments they separate. This dual task is achieved by a complex interplay of proteins and lipids at the membrane surface. How these functional membrane assemblies are formed is challenging to understand in live cells, but in vitro reconstitution has been useful to isolate und understand fundamental mechanisms. This chapter describes how giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) and purified proteins can be combined to reveal basic principles of complex cellular membrane behaviors and structures such as filopodia, endocytic buds, and cell-cell interfaces.
