Actively maintained lipid nanodomains in biomembranes.
Lipid rafts, defined as domains rich in cholesterol and sphingolipids, are involved in many important plasma membrane functions. Recent studies suggest that the way cells handle membrane cholesterol is fundamental in the formation of such lateral heterogeneities. We propose to model the plasma membrane as a nonequilibrium phase-separating system where cholesterol is dynamically incorporated and released. The model shows how cellular regulation of membrane cholesterol may determine the nanoscale lipid organization when the lipid mixture is close to a phase separation boundary, providing a plausible mechanism for raft formation in vivo.
Gómez
Jordi
J
Departament de Química-Física, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda Diagonal 647, Barcelona, Spain.
Sagués
Francesc
F
Reigada
Ramon
R
D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008560:Membrane Fluidity / Q000502:physiology*; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*
D008051:Lipid Bilayers