title: Importance of the hexagonal lipid phase in biological membrane organization.
abstract: Domains are present in every natural membrane. They are characterized by a distinctive protein and/or lipid composition. Their size is highly variable from the nano- to the micrometer scale. The domains confer specific properties to the membrane leading to original structure and function. The determinants leading to domain organization are therefore important but remain obscure. This review presents how the ability of lipids to organize into hexagonal II or lamellar phases can promote particular local structures within membranes. Since biological membranes are composed of a mixture of lipids, each with distinctive biophysical properties, lateral and transversal sorting of lipids can promote creation of domains inside the membrane through local modulation of the lipid phase. Lipid biophysical properties have been characterized for long based on in vitro analyses using non-natural lipid molecules; their re-examinations using natural lipids might open interesting perspectives on membrane architecture occurring in vivo in various cellular and physiological contexts.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, UMR 5168, CNRS Grenoble, France ; Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, Univ. Grenoble Alpes Grenoble, France ; Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, Institut de Recherches en Technologies et Sciences pour le Vivant, Direction des Sciences du Vivant, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives Grenoble, France ; Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, USC1359, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Juliette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jouhet
keywords: glycerolipid; hexagonal phase; lipid bilayers; lipid phase; membrane domains