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Membrane rafting: From apical sorting to phase segregation
Author(s) -
Coskun Ünal,
Simons Kai
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2009.12.043
Subject(s) - raft , membrane , compartmentalization (fire protection) , sorting , microbiology and biotechnology , function (biology) , chemistry , biology , nanotechnology , biophysics , computer science , materials science , biochemistry , enzyme , polymer , organic chemistry , programming language , copolymer
In this review we describe the history of the development of the raft concept for membrane sub‐compartmentalization. From its early beginnings as a mechanism for apical sorting in epithelial cells the concept has evolved to a general principle for membrane organisation. After a shaky start with crude methodology based on detergent extraction the field has become increasingly sophisticated, employing a host of different methods that support the existence of dynamic raft domains in membranes. These are composed of fluctuating nanoscale assemblies of sphingolipid, cholesterol and proteins that can be stabilized to coalesce, forming platforms that function in membrane signalling and trafficking.