title: Lipocalin 2 as a membrane-reorganizing agent.
abstract: Lipocalins are a class of proteins that scavenge hydrophobic molecules in diverse contexts, including the immune system, the nervous system, and cancer. A recent study by Watanbe et al. identifies lipocalin 2 produced by the female mouse reproductive tract as a sperm-capacitating agent that alters the membrane properties of sperm in preparation for fertilization. The potential for lipocalins to act as general modulators of plasma membrane bioactivity is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard University, 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. dlingwood@mgh.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lingwood
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D000494:Allosteric Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D016537:Gangliosidosis, GM1 / Q000378:metabolism; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D015513:Oncogene Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D013075:Sperm Capacitation / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; C071332:Lcn2 protein, mouse