Basic structure and function of cells
5.e1
1
RETPaHC
Combinations of biochemical, biophysical and biological tech-
niques have revealed that lipids are not homogenously distributed in
membranes, but that some are organized into microdomains in the
bilayer, called ‘detergent-resistant membranes’ or lipid ‘rafts’, rich in
sphingomyelin and cholesterol. The ability of select subsets of proteins
to partition into different lipid microdomains has profound effects on
their function, e.g. in T-cell receptor and cell–cell signalling. The highly
organized environment of the domains provides a signalling, trafficking
and membrane fusion environment.