title: Lipid raft microdomains and neurotransmitter signalling.
abstract: Lipid rafts are specialized structures on the plasma membrane that have an altered lipid composition as well as links to the cytoskeleton. It has been proposed that these structures are membrane domains in which neurotransmitter signalling might occur through a clustering of receptors and components of receptor-activated signalling cascades. The localization of these proteins in lipid rafts, which is affected by the cytoskeleton, also influences the potency and efficacy of neurotransmitter receptors and transporters. The effect of lipid rafts on neurotransmitter signalling has also been implicated in neurological and psychiatric diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Robyn A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Halverson-Tamboli
authors.forename: Mark M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Rasenick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents