Lipid lateral mobility in the plasma membrane of whole plant cells

Fluorescence photobleaching recovery was used to measure the apparent lateral diffusion coefficient and mobile fraction of a fluorescent lipid probe in the plasma membranes of whole plant cells, i.e., in the presence of cell walls. Interfering fluorescence from the cell wall was reduced by extensive washing and then subtracted from the recovery recordings. Mobility characteristics of plasma membrane lipids in whole cells were found to be very similar to those in protoplasts.