title: Transmembrane voltage: Potential to induce lateral microdomains.
abstract: Lateral segregation of plasma membrane lipids is a generally accepted phenomenon. Lateral lipid microdomains of specific composition, structure and biological functions are established as a result of simultaneous action of several competing mechanisms which contribute to membrane organization. Various lines of evidence support the conclusion that among those mechanisms, the membrane potential plays significant and to some extent unique role. Above all, clear differences in the microdomain structure as revealed by fluorescence microscopy could be recognized between polarized and depolarized membranes. In addition, recent fluorescence spectroscopy experiments reported depolarization-induced changes in a membrane lipid order. In the context of earlier findings showing that plasma membranes of depolarized cells are less susceptible to detergents and the cells less sensitive to antibiotics or antimycotics treatment we discuss a model, in which membrane potential-driven re-organization of the microdomain structure contributes to maintaining membrane integrity during response to stress, pathogen attack and other challenges involving partial depolarization of the plasma membrane. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: The cellular lipid landscape edited by Tim P. Levine and Anant K. Menon.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Vídeňská 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic. Electronic address: malinsky@biomed.cas.cz.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Malinsky
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cell Biology and Plant Physiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Widmar
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tanner
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Vídeňská 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Miroslava
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Opekarova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Fluorescence microscopy; Lipid phase; Membrane microdomains; Membrane potential; Membrane structure; Plasma membrane