title: Lipid traffic: the ABC of transbilayer movement.
abstract: Membrane lipids do not spontaneously exchange between the two leaflets of lipid bilayers because the polar headgroups cannot cross the hydrophobic membrane interior. Cellular membranes, notably eukaryotic plasma membranes, are equipped with special proteins that actively translocate lipids from one leaflet to the other. In addition, cellular membranes contain proteins that facilitate a passive equilibration of lipids between the two membrane halves. In recent years, a growing number of proteins have been put forward as lipid translocators or facilitators. Unexpectedly, some of these appear to be required for efficient translocation of lipids lacking bulky headgroups, like cholesterol and fatty acids. The candidate lipid translocators identified so far belong to large protein families whose other members include pumps for amphiphilic molecules like bile salts and drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Raggers
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pomorski
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Holthuis
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kälin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van Meer
mesh_terms: D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000378:metabolism; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000378:metabolism; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000378:metabolism*; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D005810:Multigene Family; D049294:Phospholipid Transfer Proteins
chemical_list: D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D005227:Fatty Acids; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D049294:Phospholipid Transfer Proteins; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D002784:Cholesterol; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases