Active flows cluster cell surface proteins.
The plasma membrane of cells is a dynamic mixture of different lipids, proteins, and sugars. In a recent issue of Cell, Gowrishankar et al. (2012) propose a model for how the actin cortex may generate and regulate lateral heterogeneity in the plasma membrane by actively clustering cell surface molecules.
MOSAIC Group, ETH Zurich, Universitätstr. 6, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland. ivos@ethz.ch
Ivo F
IF
Sbalzarini