Lipid Raft Phase Modulation by Membrane-Anchored Proteins with Inherent Phase Separation Properties.

ABSTRACT: Cell plasma membranes are a heterogeneous mixture of lipids and membrane proteins. The importance of heterogeneous lipid domains (also called lipid rafts) as a molecular sorting platform has been implicated in many physiological processes. Cell plasma membranes that are detached from the cytoskeletal structure spontaneously phase separate into distinct domains at equilibrium, which show their inherent demixing properties. Recently, researchers have discovered that proteins with strong interprotein interactions also spontaneously phase separate into distinct protein domains, thus enabling the maintenance of many membraneless organelles. Protein phase separation may also take place on the lipid membranes via lipid-anchored proteins, which suggests another potential molecular sorting platform

SUBMITTER: Lee IH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6547621 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature