The systematic analysis of protein-lipid interactions comes of age.
Lipids tailor membrane identities and function as molecular hubs in all cellular processes. However, the ways in which lipids modulate protein function and structure are poorly understood and still require systematic investigation. In this Innovation article, we summarize pioneering technologies, including lipid-overlay assays, lipid pull-down assays, affinity-purification lipidomics and the liposome microarray-based assay (LiMA), that will enable protein-lipid interactions to be deciphered on a systems level. We discuss how these technologies can be applied to the charting of system-wide networks and to the development of new pharmaceutical strategies.
Institute for Molecular Infection Biology and Core Unit Systems Medicine, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany.
Antoine-Emmanuel
AE
Saliba
European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Structural and Computational Biology Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
Ivana
I
Vonkova
European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Structural and Computational Biology Unit and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
Anne-Claude
AC
Gavin
D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry*; D046228:Microarray Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*
D008055:Lipids; D008074:Lipoproteins; D008081:Liposomes; D011506:Proteins