Structural information about organized cholesterol domains from specific antibody recognition.
Cholesterol-rich domains have been observed to exist in cell membranes under physiological and pathological conditions. Their compositions and the microenvironment of their formation vary over a wide range. Very little information is however available on the molecular structure and organization of these domains. The techniques available to provide such structural information are reviewed here first. The possibility of using tailor-made antibodies as reporters of molecular organization in membranes is then considered. The concept of antibodies recognizing molecular organization rather than single molecular epitopes is established, reviewing the existing works on antibody and protein recognition of crystalline molecular arrays. The information that such antibodies could provide in cells is finally examined together with a proof of application.
Addadi
Lia
L
Department of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel. Lia.Addadi@weizmann.ac.il
Geva
Merav
M
Kruth
Howard S
HS
D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D003460:Crystallization; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000032:analysis; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology
D000906:Antibodies; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D002784:Cholesterol