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Host‐cell lipid rafts: a safe door for micro‐organisms?
Author(s) -
Vieira Flávia Sarmento,
Corrêa Gladys,
EinickerLamas Marcelo,
CoutinhoSilva Robson
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
biology of the cell
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.543
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1768-322X
pISSN - 0248-4900
DOI - 10.1042/bc20090138
Subject(s) - lipid raft , lipid microdomain , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , signalling , immune system , signal transduction , effector , secretion , immunology , membrane , biochemistry
The lipid raft hypothesis proposed that these microdomains are small (10–200 nM), highly dynamic and enriched in cholesterol, glycosphingolipids and signalling phospholipids, which compartmentalize cellular processes. These membrane regions play crucial roles in signal transduction, phagocytosis and secretion, as well as pathogen adhesion/interaction. Throughout evolution, many pathogens have developed mechanisms to escape from the host immune system, some of which are based on the host membrane microdomain machinery. Thus lipid rafts might be exploited by pathogens as signalling and entry platforms. In this review, we summarize the role of lipid rafts as players in the overall invasion process used by different pathogens to escape from the host immune system.