Insights into lipid raft structure and formation from experiments in model membranes.
Rafts are sphingolipid/cholesterol-rich lipid domains believed to exist within certain eukaryotic cell membranes. Model membrane studies have been key to understanding the basic physical principles behind raft formation. Recent fluorescence quenching studies have demonstrated that tight packing between sterols and sphingolipids is the driving force for raft formation, and have begun to decipher the rules governing how different molecules interact with rafts.
London
Erwin
E
Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 11794-5215, USA. Erwin.London@stonybrook.edu
D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry; D005454:Fluorescence Polarization / Q000379:methods; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000737:chemistry*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D002784:Cholesterol