Localization and proteomic characterization of cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains in the inner ear.

ABSTRACT: Biological membranes organize and compartmentalize cell signaling into discrete microdomains, a process that often involves stable, cholesterol-rich platforms that facilitate protein-protein interactions. Polarized cells with distinct apical and basolateral cell processes rely on such compartmentalization to maintain proper function. In the cochlea, a variety of highly polarized sensory and non-sensory cells are responsible for the early stages of sound processing in the ear, yet little is known about the mechanisms that traffic and organize signaling complexes within these cells. We sought to determine the prevalence, localization, and protein composition of cholesterol-rich lipid microdomains in the cochlea. Lipid raft components, including the scaffolding protein caveolin and the gangli

SUBMITTER: Thomas PV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4220796 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature