title: An in vivo ratio control mechanism for phospholipid homeostasis: evidence from lipidomic studies.
abstract: While it is widely accepted that the lipid composition of eukaryotic membranes is under homeostatic control, the mechanisms through which cells sense lipid composition are still the subject of debate. It has been postulated that membrane curvature elastic energy is the membrane property that is regulated by cells, and that lipid composition is maintained by a ratio control function derived from the concentrations of type II and type 0 lipids, weighted appropriately. We assess this proposal by seeking a signature of ratio control in quantified lipid composition data obtained by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry from over 40 independent asynchronous cell populations. Our approach revealed the existence of a universal 'pivot' lipid, which marks the boundary between type 0 lipids and type II lipids, and which is invariant between different cell types or cells grown under different conditions. The presence of such a pivot species is a distinctive signature of the operation in vivo, in human cell lines, of a control function that is consistent with the hypothesis that membrane elastic energy is homeostatically controlled.
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK. gza@soton.ac.uk
authors.forename: Marcus K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Dymond
authors.forename: Charlotte V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Hague
authors.forename: Anthony D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Postle
authors.forename: George S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Attard
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology*; D004548:Elasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D010743:Phospholipids